University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Leadership capacity building within a Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization

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Leadership capacity building within a Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization

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Content Running head: LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT

1

LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING
WITHIN A HAWAIIAN-BASED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

by

Leialoha M. Benson

______________________________________________________________________

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

December 2017

Copyright 2017 Leialoha M. Benson

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I acknowledge all the good people who have been my mentors, coaches, teachers, and
friends. You have been exemplary in kindness and learning. I thank you for seeing my
potential, especially when I couldn’t see it myself.
A big mahalo to my ʻohana for supporting the time I took away to study and attend
classes, in addition to my time away serving the legacy of Queen Liliʻuokalani. You have been
constant in patience and support encouraging me to succeed and live a happy life.
My biggest appreciation is extended to God. My life is a measure of His infinite love and
mercy. A Book of Mormon scripture I can bear testimony to, “I have beheld his glory, and I am
encircled about eternally in the arms of his love” (2 Nephi 1:15).
I recognize that you have been an extension of His hands in my life. To you all, my
sincerest, “aloha.”

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements 2
List of Tables 5
List of Figures 6
Abstract 7
Chapter 1: Introduction 8
Background of the Problem 10
Statement of the Problem 12
Purpose of the Study 13
Research Questions 14
Significance of the Study 14
Limitations, Delimitations, Assumptions 15
Glossary of Terms 16
Organization of the Dissertation 16
Chapter 2: Literature Review 18
Historical Context 18
Leadership Succession Within Nonprofit Organizations 23
Leadership Capacity Within Nonprofit Organizations 29
Theoretical Framework 34
Summary 36
Chapter 3: Methodology 37
Research Questions 37
Research Design 38
Sample and Population 40
Overview of Organization 41
Theoretical Framework 42
Conceptual Framework 42
Data Collection 44
Instrumentation 45
Data Analysis 47
Ethical Considerations 48
Summary 49
Chapter 4: Results 50
Participants 51
Overview of Organization — Mālama ʻĀina 53
Results: Research Question 1 54
Discussion: Research Question 1 70
Results: Research Question 2 71
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Discussion: Research Question 2 83
Summary 85
Chapter 5: Discussion 86
Summary 86
Purpose of the Study 87
Research Questions 87
Summary of the Findings 88
Implications for Practice 91
Recommendations for Future Studies 94
Conclusions 95
References 96
Appendices 101
Appendix A: Participation Letter 101
Appendix B: Interview Protocol 102
Appendix C: Observation Protocol 103
Appendix D: CEO Succession Plan 105

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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Participants in the Study 45
Table 2. Research Questions as Instrumentation 47
Table 3. Pseudonyms of Participants 52

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Conceptual framework 43
Figure 2. Creswell’s six steps of data analysis 48

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ABSTRACT
The retirement of the Baby Boomer generation signals a need for organizations to prepare
potential leaders for senior leadership roles. Succession planning is the opportunity for
organizations to implement strategic development practices to build leadership capacity. The
study applied fundamental practices of exemplary leadership within the theory of
Transformational Leadership. The purpose of the study was to understand promising practices of
leadership succession within a Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization. The goals of the study
were to explore the strategies that build the next generation of leaders, and the factors that both
facilitate and inhibit the development and implementation of those strategies. A qualitative case
study utilizing a combination of interviews, observations, and document analysis was
implemented with the purposeful selection of eight leaders within a Hawaiian-based nonprofit
organization. Findings indicate that like most nonprofit organizations the studied organization
has no intentional succession plan employed to prepare leaders to embark from mid-level to
senior-level leadership positions. The organization does present promising practices that support
strategic intentions to build leadership capacity. These strategies include mentorship, stretching
assignments, and formal and informal learning opportunities. The organization stands on a
strong mission and vision that facilitates leadership building strategies. Facilitating factors are
also evidenced by having a written CEO succession plan and purposefully budgeting funding for
staff development.

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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Succession planning has a strategic purpose to sustain effective leadership (Wright,
2012). An organization’s ability to successfully prepare internal candidates for leadership roles
signifies a workplace producing positive outcomes. Stating the importance of leadership, Tichy
(2014) said, “at virtually every company or organization on the planet, whether run for profit,
not-for-profit, public or private, family or shareholder owned, there are two immutable facts
about leadership: (1) leadership matters, and (2) continuity of leadership matters” (p. 20).
Effective leadership is the foundation of a successful organization. Preparing potential leaders to
assume responsibility through succession planning increases the productivity and sustainability
of the organization.
As the Baby Boomer generation retires from the workforce, companies and nonprofit
organizations are in need of filling important leadership positions. In 2011, this generation of
workers began retiring from the national workforce (West, Cole, Goodkind, & He, 2014). As of
2012, the United States ranked third in the world with persons aged 65+ with 43 million
(Ortman, Velkoff, & Hogan, 2014). The retirement of Americans will only increase in the
coming years with projections from the 2012 U.S. Census which show that by year 2030 there
will be an estimated 73 million persons aged 65+ in the United States (Ortman et al., 2014). This
dramatic increase of retiring workers warrants concern. As Baby Boomers leave the workforce
so will the knowledge and leadership skills they possess.
Leadership programs and initiatives within organizations often fail to properly prepare
the next generation of leaders. The Center for Creative Leadership (Leslie, 2009) stated that
future leaders are not adequately prepared. The study focused on key skills thought to be
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important for tomorrow’s leaders. Global Leadership Forecast 2014/2015 (Development
Dimensions International, 2014) conducted a study with 13,124 leaders within 2,031
organizations that rated the prioritizing of human capital and leadership development as high a
priority. Results from the report stated that 40% of leaders believe their organizations have high
quality leaders. However, human resource management teams from the same organizations
reported only 25% confidence of high quality leaders. Although the perspectives from differing
stakeholders within the study range by 15%, overall, the report showcased the need for
organizations to invest in strategic leadership development practices.
Leaders within nonprofit organizations encompass great leadership and visionary
capacity. In some cases, the leader within a nonprofit organization is the founder (Balser &
Carmin, 2009). This person envisioned, planned, and implemented the mission and goals. The
organization continues forward because of stable and consistent leadership from the top. In other
cases, senior leadership may have been given authority through the succession of the founder or
otherwise hired, but with all succession within nonprofit organizations, it is of the upmost
importance to find the right person at the right time to lead. The selected leader needs to
understand and implement the established vision and mission of the nonprofit. By so doing,
perpetuity of the founding principles will continue forward to support community needs.
Nonprofit organizations are important to society as they support prevention and
intervention resources that increase positive outcomes among individuals and families (Wright,
2012). The purpose of a nonprofit organization is to function as a not-for-profit establishment
and is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (Internal Revenue
Service, 2017). With this coding, the IRS officially deems nonprofits as charitable organizations
that support the welfare of society. A nonprofit organization as described by the Department of
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Commerce and Consumer Affairs (State of Hawaii, Department of Commerce and Consumer
Affairs, n.d.), is a term used to describe mission driven activities of organizations founded as
benevolent entities established for societal purposes of charity or civic work.
Succession planning within nonprofit organizations assists in the work of providing
charity to the greater community. This study will first look at promising practices within a
Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization. Promising practices define the strategies utilized to
prepare potential leaders in building leadership capacity. Second, the study will look at the
stakeholders involved with the nonprofit organization. The stakeholders are the potential leaders
within the organization who will be impacted by the implementation of a strategic succession
plan. Third, the study will consider the factors that either facilitate or inhibit the development
and implementation of building leadership capacity. Identifying the strengths and challenges in
preparing for effective succession planning will guide Hawaiian-based nonprofit organizations
when developing strategies of building leadership capacity.
Background of the Problem
Leadership is fundamental to the sustainability of charitable organizations such as
nonprofits (Froelich, McKee, & Rathge, 2011). Without an established leadership pipeline
within nonprofit organizations, beneficiaries will not glean the best possible social service care.
Nonprofit organizations represent the fastest growing employment sector over government and
business since 2008 (Roeger, Blackwood, & Pettijohn, 2012). While work in the nonprofit
sector increases, funding for nonprofit services is being reduced. Pettijohn (2013) stated that
some policymakers have called on government to reduce funding to government sponsored
social services and expect nonprofit organizations to fill the gap. While the government relies on
nonprofit organizations to fulfill social services, nonprofit organizations largely depend on the
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public for funding, and beneficiaries of services look to nonprofit organizations to fill welfare
and community needs (Pettijohn, 2013). Building leadership capacity to support nonprofit work
directly impacts services provided by nonprofit organizations.
Nonprofit organizations are designed to positively impact target populations. As a source
of prevention and intervention, these organizations have a direct impact within communities.
Positive impact to communities is guided by leaders prepared to uphold the mission of the
organization (Tourish, 2012). The Nonprofit Finance Fund (2015) reported a survey completed
by 5,451 nonprofit organizations in the United States. This report stated that 67% of nonprofit
organizations have a primary goal of serving low-income communities; 29% of nonprofit
organization respondents specify as human service agencies. If not serviced through nonprofit
organizations, the report stated that 71% of beneficiaries will not have their needs met.
Building leadership capacity within Hawaiian-based nonprofit organizations supports
charitable services to the people of Hawaiʻi. Nonprofit organizations in the state of Hawaiʻi are
built upon the same fundamental principles as the greater continental United States. However,
Hawaiʻi is a state situated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and has its own set of challenges
and strengths. The indigenous people of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiians, are native to the land and have a
rich heritage. Through migration of people throughout time, the islands have been immigrated
by a vast array of nationalities and ethnicities. With such a grouping of people living with
different values, beliefs, and perspectives, it is a unique opportunity for Hawaiian-based
nonprofit organizations to impact the community. However, research does not specifically report
on building leadership capacity or succession planning within Hawaiian-based nonprofit
organizations.
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Statement of the Problem
A lack of succession planning within Hawaiian-based nonprofit organizations presents a
leadership gap within these organizations. Limited models of promising practices of succession
planning present organizations with a lack of structure in building leadership capacity. If
Hawaiian-based nonprofit organizations identify promising practices of building leadership
capacity, then services to beneficiaries will be sustained through effective leadership.
Leadership within nonprofit organizations is described at the top as the chief executive
officer or executive directors. Other learning positions within the organization can be described
as mid-level and entry-level workers. Carman, Leland, and Wilson (2010) described responses
from surveys and focus groups of mid- and entry-level workers who describe being passionate
about nonprofit work. The findings in this study showcased the crisis that senior leadership
positions may face, as well as within the other levels of management, if potential leader
identification in the mid to lower levels are not garnered and developed. Capitalizing on
potential leaders within the organization gives rise to leadership opportunities to hone skills and
gain knowledge.
Succession planning through building leadership capacity within organizations can
support the leadership pipeline by identifying potential leaders and honing them for leadership
roles. Before the Baby Boomer generation retires from the workforce, Hawaiian-based nonprofit
organizations need to capitalize on the knowledge and expertise these soon to retire leaders can
impart upon a new leadership generation.
Quality leadership influences the role of nonprofit workers as they labor toward positive
outcomes with disadvantaged populations. If a system of leadership succession is not in place,
emerging leaders may not receive sufficient access to leadership experiences, opportunities to
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apply learning, or promotion of skill development. These shortcomings may interfere with
service delivery and positive outcomes such as education, financial stability, and health among
Hawaiian-based beneficiaries.
A Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization that implements a leadership pipeline
stimulates leaders from within to reach their leadership capacity and support direct services to
beneficiaries in need. Ka Huakaʻi states that community outreach by organizations who serve
the native Hawaiian community plays an essential role in educating and preventing chronic or
serious diseases such as diabetes and heart disease among this population (Kamehameha
Schools, 2014). This statement establishes the need for preventive services through which
Hawaiian-based nonprofit organizations fulfill their role of supporting education, sustainability,
and health among the island people. Hawaiian-based nonprofit organizations need to look at
building leadership capacity by identifying the strategies that lead to potential leader
identification and development.
Purpose of the Study
Leadership succession is important for positive outcomes to occur among beneficiaries of
Hawaiian-based nonprofit organizations. It encourages the development of professional skills
and knowledge within the context of improving leadership capacity. There is little research
focusing on Hawaiian-based nonprofits in relation to building leadership capacity and the role of
succession planning. The purpose of this study is to research the role of succession planning
within the Hawaiian-based nonprofit sector and identify promising practices of building
leadership capacity within the organization. Exploring promising practices of succession
planning within a Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization will require asking questions that guide
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inquiry into the topic. The research includes a case study within a Hawaiian-based nonprofit
organization.
Research Questions
In an effort to better understand the promising practices of leadership capacity within a
Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization, this study seeks to gain insight on the following research
questions:
1. In what ways does a Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization work to build the next
generation of leaders?
2. What are the factors that both facilitate and inhibit the development and
implementation of strategies designed to build leadership capacity?
Significance of the Study
This study is significant as it will add to a limited research base on the topic of promising
practices within Hawaiian-based nonprofit organizations. This study will provide a framework
for nonprofit organizations as an implementation guide for developing potential leaders through
building leadership capacity. Focusing on promising practices identifies the strengths of
nonprofit succession planning and highlights any challenges that may inhibit leadership capacity
building.
Senior leaders as well as mid-level and entry-level leaders will benefit from this study.
The quality of leadership is derived from purposefully implementing plans of leadership
succession within the culture of the organization. By so doing, all staff have the opportunity to
develop skills and increase knowledge that will directly impact the mission of the organization.
The mission is the foundational guide that supports the content expertise and future learning
required to sustain an organization. Promising practices that support the mission will ultimately
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support beneficiaries of the nonprofit. Beneficiaries represent organizations that have a mission,
have funded programs, and are led by competent staff.
Limitations, Delimitations, Assumptions
Limitations to this study have been identified that may affect the results. These
limitations were beyond the control of the researcher. This case study utilized a small sample
size to collect data. Without a broad approach to sampling, the results of this study are not
generalizable to a larger population. The nonprofit organization used in this study operated with
a unique set of goals and vision that may not be generalizable to the larger population.
This study was a qualitative design collecting responses on the perspectives of
individuals in the study. No guarantee can be made regarding the reliability or truthfulness of
participant responses. As this was a voluntary study, a limitation is set to those subjects who
agreed to be part of the study.
The amount of time to conduct the study was a limitation. A three-month period was
allocated for data collection and analysis. The short timeframe impacted the number of
participants in the study as well as the opportunities to interview and observe participants.
Lastly, the information that was gathered in the study is subject to the interpretation of
the research bias. This was a single-person research study with no team assembled to collect and
analyze the data.
Delimitation to the study was the type of organization used to collect data. It was
predetermined that this study would focus on a nonprofit organization whose mission was based
using Hawaiian values, concepts, or beliefs. Based on this delimitation, the findings are limited
and may not be generalizable to other settings.
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Glossary of Terms
In accordance with the thematic group that organized the framework for this study, a
definition of terms is listed below which reference important aspects in this work.
Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization — a nonprofit organization that is established on
values, concepts, or beliefs rooted from the Hawaiian culture.
Leadership capacity — an individual’s ability to increase in marketable knowledge,
skills, and experience that enhances the productivity of the workplace.
Leadership pipeline — a program or framework of leadership succession.
Nonprofit organization — an organization whose focus is to serve a specific population
with no intention to render a financial profit.
Succession planning — A detailed outline identifying characteristics of promising leaders
and a path to obtain the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience needed to increase in
leadership status.
Organization of the Dissertation
This study examined promising practices of leadership succession within a Hawaiian-
based nonprofit organization. Chapter 1 provides a broad overview of the background and
significance of this study. Chapter 2 outlines a review of the literature relating to nonprofit
organizations, why successful leadership in these organizations matter, how nonprofit
organizations support leadership capacity, and what leadership skills are necessary to provide
quality services to beneficiaries. The theoretical framework will also be discussed in Chapter 2.
Chapter 3 discusses the qualitative design of research methods. A conceptual framework will
also be presented. Chapter 4 will report the findings of the data collection in respect to the
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proposed research questions. Chapter 5 will present an opportunity to discuss the findings,
implications of the findings, and recommendations for future research.

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CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
The review of literature will consider leadership capacity building from a Hawaiian
historical perspective, as well as within a Western nonprofit perspective. Themes from the
literature will explore the challenges of succession planning within nonprofit organizations,
including succession plans, funding, and Founders Syndrome. Another theme looks at the
strengths and challenges of building leadership capacity. The theoretical framework will be
introduced focusing on the practices that lead to building leadership capacity.
Historical Context
It is important to consider principles and definitions of ancient Hawaiian leadership when
thinking about Hawaiian-based nonprofit organizations in Hawaiʻi. Hawaiian-based nonprofits
are often established on values, concepts, or beliefs gleaned from Hawaiian principles. If so, the
mission and how the mission is implemented rely on Hawaiian principles and leadership
characteristics. Western thinking and Hawaiian-based leadership have similarities and
differences. ʻŌlelo noʻeau, or Hawaiian proverbs, teach the perspective of ancient thought. “I
ʻaliʻi no ke ʻaliʻi I ke kanaka, a chief is a chief because of his subjects” (Handy & Pukui, 1953,
p. 336). Western and Hawaiian thinking have a commonality that says a leader cannot lead if he
has no one who will follow him. This holds for a type of Western leadership called
transformational leadership. Northouse (1997) looked at the relationship between leader and
follower in working together to advance to the common goal. Kanahele (1986) discussed ancient
Hawaiian leadership by saying, “leading is always a two-way relationship, involving the one
who is led and the one who is leading. A man without followers is no leader at all” (p. 407).
Leaders may lead by status of power and authority. Leaders may also lead by character and
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values. Handy and Pukui (1953) and Kanahele (1986) provide historical insight into
characteristics of leaders of ancient Hawaiʻi. Although decades have passed, nonprofit
organizations that choose to utilize Hawaiian-based values as a guide for their mission and vision
do so by remembering the wisdom of ancient scholars.
Hawaiian Leadership Structure
Kanahele (1986) speaks to the structure of ancient Hawaiian leadership. Ancient
Hawaiian organization of leadership was led by the aliʻi nui (king of all the people), the aliʻi
(chiefs whom ruled part of an island or one or several islands at the same time), the konohiki
(manager of a specified land division; in essence the chief executive officer of the land division),
the kāhuna (specialists who generally represented categories that dealt with technology, art and
intellect, and religion), and the haku (head of the family). Each level of leadership had
significant responsibility and a skill-set fortified to complete their duties. Leaders were
accountable for their duties and managed in respect of the responsibility laid with them.
Leadership in ancient Hawaiʻi was organized to outline responsibility toward political,
socioeconomic, religious, intellectual, technological, and familial realms (Kanahele, 1986).
Many people were in leadership roles within the sphere they were chosen and accepted
responsibility. Although there was a ranking order with identified roles, each level of leadership
from the aliʻi nui to the haku had important responsibilities to uphold. The levels of governance
were interconnected and achievement or failure at one level affected the other as the system was
based on shared leadership (Kanahele, 1986). Shared leadership recognized the balance of
power and the importance of accomplishing responsibilities within the order and quality that is
expected for an interconnected governance system.
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Characteristics of Hawaiian Leadership
Hawaiian leadership led by characteristics that respected a spiritual force greater than
themselves and a humility that recognized that everyday behavior influenced the ability to lead.
Leadership roles of ancient Hawaiians were pivotal to the health of the people. True leaders of
ancient Hawaiʻi were people who were followed and supported by the commoners (Kanahele,
1986). “Sources of influence” is how Kanahele (1986) described the fundamental attributes that
denoted leadership in ancient Hawaiʻi (p. 400). Leaders were chosen ranging from the attribute
as belonging to a chiefly bloodline to a person with characteristics and knowledge that
epitomized sound leaders (Kanahele, 1986). There are general sources of leader characteristics
that are recognized by all leaders. Kanahele (1986) described these sources in the Hawaiian
words of mana, aloha, and pono, and the English words of expertise and loyalty. Understanding
characteristics that were respected and exemplified in Hawaiian history sets precedence for
Hawaiian-based nonprofit organizations that choose to utilize ancient Hawaiian values and
concepts as a part of their mission.
Mana. Pukui and Elbert (1986) defined mana as a person having supernatural, spiritual
or divine power. This is a power that cannot be gifted one man to another. It is an authority that
is spiritual in nature and is a source of influence that can be enriched if the leader lives a certain
life. Kanahele (1986) described a leader with great mana as someone who is wise, respectable,
can handle authority with ease, and is charming, humble, and honest. Mana describes attributes
that can be looked upon and measured by the behavior of chosen leaders. Mana was an influence
that was readily recognizable by the Hawaiian people (Kanahele, 1986).
Aloha. This source of influence varied according to the type of leadership, but all
Hawaiian leaders had some level of aloha (Kanahele, 1986). Aloha is a noun as well as a verb as
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it describes greetings of salutation as well as affection, compassion, love, kindness, and mercy
(Pukui & Elbert, 1986). This source of influence is the component of being likable. Aloha was
an important ingredient in ancient Hawaiian leadership (Kanahele, 1986).
Pono. Kanahele (1986) identified the Western word morality to best describe the
Hawaiian attribute of pono. It is the everyday exercising of good deeds among the people.
Pukui and Elbert (1986) shared that this source of influence is a verb that embodies fairness, and
righteousness, as well as a system of “correct and proper procedure,” excellence, equity, and
prosperity (p. 340). Pono describes a leader or organizational culture that is moral and looks to
benefit all.
Expertise. In ancient Hawaiʻi synonymous was the source of influence of expertise and
leadership (Kanahele, 1986). Expertise is described in the ʻōlelo noʻeau, “He ʻike ana ia I ka
pono,” one has seen the right thing to do and has done it (Pukui, 1983, p. 70). Expertise is
directly related to a leader’s competence in knowing how to do something, doing it, and doing it
well (Kanahele, 1986). Leaders had to undergo extensive training to become skilled in their
responsibilities and duties (Kanahele, 1986).
Loyalty. Ancient Hawaiian leaders depended on the unity and mutual help of their
followers (Kanahele, 1986). The overall wellness of the community depended on a cohesive
working together of the people. A leader had to show loyalty to those in his charge.
There are other influences that affected the ancient Hawaiian leadership structure that
may not apply to the modern-day Hawaiian-based nonprofit agency. These sources of influence
consist of belonging to a chiefly bloodline, wealth, and birth order in the family (Kanahele,
1986).
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Principles of Hawaiian Leadership
Present-day Hawaiʻi nonprofit organizations have the opportunity to blend the culture,
principles, and practice of old Hawaiʻi with modern-day Hawaiʻi. This section will share
principles of Hawaiian leadership such as cooperation and humility in understanding the
significance in blending principles of modern-day Hawaiian-based nonprofit organizations with
principles of ancient Hawaiʻi.
Many ethnic cultures thrive on communal or shared leadership (Kanahele, 1986).
Ancient Hawaiian leadership carried this pattern. It is recognized that the health of a community
relies on the cooperative nature of people contributing to accepted goals. The Hawaiian word for
this type of engagement is kōkua, a willingness of individuals to work volunteering with each
other (Kanahele, 1986). The principle of assisting others to enhance the work can be applied to
present-day nonprofit organizations. If the organization is looking to have a Hawaiian-base,
utilizing the principle of kōkua is expected in the design.
Contemporary Hawaiian leadership allows the influence of Western thinking in
conjunction with a Hawaiian value-based foundation. Pukui (1983) said, “ʻAʻohe pau ka ʻike i
ka hālau hoʻokahi,” one can learn from many sources (p. 203). This ʻōlelo noʻeau recognizes the
influence of many factors that contribute to new learning and living. This principle highlights
leaders as continual learners. It recognizes humility in knowing there is more to learn, and that
learning may derive from others. As leaders seek to improve and share this trait with potential
leaders having humility will guide the learning process.
The blending of Hawaiian and Western principles and theologies may hinder or advance
the functioning of the nonprofit. For the purposes of this study, it is the perspective of Hawaiian-
based values within the scope of building leadership capacity that will separate this research
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from others. Hawaiian-based organizations must follow Western policies and procedures, and
thus, are state and federally regulated under the United States of America and must adhere to
501(c)3 laws and regulations. The same organizations have the flexibility to define the mission
and vision according to the issues and community it seeks to serve. When Hawaiʻi nonprofit
organizations choose to use a Hawaiian value-based format they are choosing to connect the past
to the present, in order to impact the future.
Nonprofit organizations that are Hawaiian-based are guided by principles grounded in
Hawaiian thinking. Some principles are found in the literature of Western leadership while
others are not. The opportunity for nonprofit organizations is to blend the two leadership styles
and operate to best service the people of Hawaiʻi. The process of blending the Western and
Hawaiian ways of thinking involves understanding the challenges that can transpire within
nonprofit organizations. The next section will look at specific challenges surrounding typical
nonprofit organizations.
Leadership Succession Within Nonprofit Organizations
This section will examine problems identified in the literature that elucidate the need to
study nonprofit organizations in relation to building leadership capacity through succession
planning. Studies regarding succession planning of nonprofit organizations reported on the
succession process through surveys, interviews and focus groups (Bozer & Kuna, 2013; Carman
et al., 2010; Comini, Paolino, & Feltosa, 2013; Santora, Sarros, & Esposito, 2014; Wright, 2012).
Embedded in these processes are the leadership succession markers that identify implications for
future leadership and professional practice within nonprofit organizations. These studies
identified three main problems of succession planning within nonprofits: (1) majority of
nonprofit organizations lack a structured succession plan, (2) top leaders within nonprofit
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organizations see funding as a key issue that prevents succession planning, and (3) emotional ties
that founders of organizations have impact building of leadership capacity.
Leadership Succession Challenge: Lack of a Plan
The first problem is the lack of succession planning within nonprofit organizations. Bassi
(2013) shared that succession planning is the most critical component in a nonprofit
organization. A study from Brazil (Comini et al., 2013) reported on the disillusioned stance of
nonprofit organizations believing that passing the baton of leadership will be a natural process
without challenges. This study identified that only 32% of the organizations studied have a
succession plan in place, and of those organizations 26% defined the plan as formally written.
Speaking to the second problem of having no successor identified for retiring leaders, this report
shared that top leaders of organizations are not sure whose responsibility this is. The board of
directors who represented each nonprofit organization serve a secondary role in succession
planning and reported spending on average two hours a year discussing succession planning.
Reporting on a study of nonprofit organizations in Israel, Bozer and Kuna (2013) stated
that planning for executive succession is not common. Nonprofit organizations with a formal
succession plan account for only 7% of those studied. There is a lack of succession planning
structure and little progress to show promotion of building succession planning infrastructures.
When looking for leadership successors Israel nonprofit organizations tend to look outside their
organization rather than make preparations to build leadership capacity from within. When time
for leaders to retire or leave the organization 58% of these leaders reported they rarely or never
advise their board of directors on the identification of a new leader.
Italian nonprofit organizations distinguished a high rate of 69% of nonprofits with written
succession plans, as this is required in the organization by-laws (Bassi, 2013). Sixty-nine
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percent is an outlier to the majority of data on succession plans within nonprofit organizations
and showed the advantage of the government requiring a structured succession plan with the
creation and approval of a nonprofit organization status. Chief executive officers of the studied
Italian organizations reported having been hired from within the organization. When time to exit
the organization, 44.5% stated an internal candidate will replace them. However, 90% of those
leader’s stated that no potential candidate had been identified.
Insights from North Carolina (Carman et al., 2010) reported that of the 299 nonprofit
organizations studied, only 23% had a formal succession plan in place. Of those who had a plan,
only 13% had a successor in mind. The lack in succession plan structure is justified from the
board of directors as not having much experience with recruiting and hiring leaders. The lack of
experience is due to top leaders either being the founder of the organization and is still on the job
or leaders stay with organizations with little turnover. Outcomes of this report showed that 69%
of senior leadership plan to leave the organization within five years. The majority of these
leaders responded that they are not concerned about identification of a successor. Seventy-four
percent of the studied organizations used only internal recruitment for filling key leadership
roles. Considering the low succession plan count and lower identification of a successor to the
69% of leaders leaving their role, building leadership capacity within organizations seems
beneficial to the vitality of nonprofit organizations.
Leadership Succession Challenge: Funding
Another challenge to building a structured succession plan is the need for financial
backing. Funding issues are a distraction that take the focus away from building leadership
capacity through succession planning (Bozer & Kuna, 2013; Carman et al., 2010; Comini et al.,
2013). These reports speak to the high need of maintaining financial stability as a priority in the
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day-to-day functions of the organization. Carman et al. (2010) reported on nonprofit
organizations that only think about succession planning in secret, as to not raise flags among
funders and donors. Finding funding to support the mission of nonprofit organizations can be
complex and competitive when financial resources are limited in the community (Bassi, 2013).
Reputation and character serves to increase funding opportunities when competing for resources.
Hawaiian-based nonprofits have the same challenge when competing for financial
resources. Mataira, Morelli, Matsuoka, and Uehara-McDonald (2014) spoke to the shrinking
federal and state government support to nonprofit organizations. The National Center for
Charitable Statistics (2013) reported that there are approximately 5,500 registered nonprofit
organizations within Hawaiʻi. The total yearly funding averages 5-6 billion to nonprofit
hospitals and universities in Hawaiʻi, with the remaining 1 billion imparted to other nonprofit
organizations. With funding to nonprofit organizations decreasing, priorities are being shifted to
organizations that can demonstrate the best cost-benefit impact to beneficiaries.
Leadership Succession Challenge: Founder’s Syndrome
Leadership succession within nonprofit organizations looks at the role of nonprofit
founders and “Founders Syndrome.” Nonprofit organizations are developed to fill a gap in
services to support the outcomes of disadvantaged communities. Understanding the investment
of time and energy founders have provided and the possible reluctance to share leadership
because of emotional ties to the organization will be discussed.
Finding the right person to succeed a nonprofit organization president or chief executive
officer (CEO), who may also be the founder of the organization, can be challenging. Some
nonprofit organizations utilize a board of directors to assist in succession planning while others
do not (Santora et al., 2014). Succession planning in nonprofit organizations need to consider
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how potential leaders will impact the outcomes of the organization. Identification of potential
leaders can be difficult if the founder of the organization is the one exiting.
Founder’s Syndrome is commonly expressed when referring to nonprofit succession
planning. Founder’s Syndrome is the inability of the founder of a nonprofit organization to
relinquish control and influence of day-to-day operations (Wright, 2012). A qualitative study
done with ten participants from human service organizations considered the impact of Founder’s
Syndrome on succession planning (Wright, 2012). The study showed that the life-changing
period of retirement traumatically impacted retiring leaders. These leaders experienced great
feelings of loss and grief as founders needed to let go of a role that had become part of their
identity. This study illuminated the importance of strategic preparation for the person who is to
retire as well as the person who will become the new leader. The organization as a whole may
experience a change in dynamics, and potentially have feelings of loss.
Wright (2012) stated that most nonprofit organizations see their succession plans as being
either (1) an emergency model, or (2) strategically designed. He posited that the correct
approach may be a blend of both, an emergency model and a strategic process of succession.
This type of thinking allows leaders to keep in mind that leadership turnover may come because
of an emergency situation and preparation is needed to develop leaders from within to lead if
necessary. This study showed that all leaders considered leadership development as a positive
benefit. Further, leaders of this study discussed the nonprofit organizations’ internal process of
hiring from within as their formal succession plan, with a couple of organizations extending the
application to external candidates. In all cases, it was the recommendation of this study to allow
human resources managers greater involvement in the succession planning process (Wright,
2012).
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Santora et al. (2014) presented a case study of four founders of nonprofit organizations
who had been at the head of the leadership table for 20+ years. Their findings reported that all
leaders had a difficult time relinquishing their role within the nonprofit organization and were
described as having founder’s syndrome. Within these four organizations, three reported having
informal succession plans in place, while one organization had no formal or informal plan in
place. Santora et al. (2014) stated that founders of nonprofits are usually the ones who impede
implementation of succession leadership because of their emotional attachment to the
organization. This is consistent with the literature describing the real emotions that describe
founder’s syndrome.
Building leadership capacity involves identifying potential leaders to take the reins when
founders or senior leaders exit the organization. Founders have a difficult time emotionally
disconnecting from the organization built and implemented from the founding leader’s
innovation. Understanding the attachment founding organizers have put into perspective the
reasoning for a possible lack of succession planning and identifying potential leaders as
replacement leaders.
Nonprofit organizations often overlook the need to implement a succession plan.
However, services executed through the nonprofit sector yield a need for Hawaiian-based
nonprofit organizations to identify promising practices of building leadership capacity through
strategies of succession planning. Leadership capacity includes increasing the leadership,
innovation and organizational development skills to sustain a nonprofit organization (Mataira et
al., 2014). The next section will look at strategies to increase leadership capacity within
nonprofit organizations and the challenges that decrease the effectiveness of such organizations
to successfully service the community.
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Leadership Capacity Within Nonprofit Organizations
Building leadership capacity is one of the most important elements in succession
planning (Carman et al., 2010). Building leadership capacity is critical to ensure nonprofit
success and sustainability. This section will identify methods of building leadership capacity as
connected in relevant literature. This section will also outline challenges nonprofit organizations
may face in building leadership capacity.
Methods of Building Leadership Capacity
Building leadership capacity can be defined as increasing human capital among staff.
Human capital has a production element that includes generating ideas and implementing them
for a value outcome that supports the mission of an organization (Kwon, 2009). Building
leadership capacity that includes human capital prospects looks at the knowledge and education a
leader utilizes to do efficient work. Having a succession plan to guide the building of leadership
capacity is advantageous.
Implementing a succession plan is a critical component in sustaining a nonprofit
organization. Founding governance of nonprofit organizations may have a pre-planned departure
date, but due to the reluctance of founders to step aside this date may not meet fruition (Gothard
& Austin, 2013). If pre-planned dates are met, organizations can prepare the leadership hand off
with a vision. An emergency succession is a plan for unplanned departures of key leadership
officials. In this case, board of directors may step in and call a new successor (Gothard &
Austin, 2013). It is profitable for nonprofit organizations to plan ahead for succession planning
as to not disrupt the efficiency of the work.
Capacity building can be described as achieving organizational effectiveness (Petrescu,
2013). Identifying potential leaders as a form of succession planning is critical to nonprofit
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organizations (Gothard & Austin, 2013). In this study, succession planning looked at honoring
the exiting senior leader as a way to provide closure for the exiting leader and set out a new
beginning for the incoming leadership (Wright, 2013). Wright (2013) defined this movement of
honoring the exiting leader and initiating the new leaders as a delicate process. Nonprofit
organizations may grow attachments to the exiting leader and when leaving this can cause a shift
in organizational culture. All staff may not readily accept the organizational change.
People who have been assigned as mentors to potential leaders do so in a developmental
advisory role. Coaching is slightly different than mentoring and involves utilizing one-on-one
practical learning to enhance building leadership capacity (Gothard & Austin, 2013). Hanson,
Ward, and Chin (2012) defined coaching as using technology as cross-cultural leading. This
involves using technology to improve communication and enhance productivity. Birasnav,
Rangnekar, and Dalpati (2011) shared that knowledge is a product of mentorship and attending
professional meetings. Increased leadership capacity and strengthened knowledge is an outcome
of mentorship and coaching.
Leadership programs can be utilized to support organizational capital within nonprofit
organizations. Austin, Regan, Samples, Schwartz, and Carnochan (2011) shared about a
strategic program to impact organizational change and organizational improvement. The
program is called managerial leadership development training program (MLDTP) and was
created as a means to identify organizational needs and learning needs of leaders within
nonprofit organizations who work with children and families. The study capitalized on the
outcomes of twelve participants from five nonprofit human service organizations. The three
main factors that lead the leadership program were: (1) feedback, (2) modeling, and (3)
experiential learning. Timely feedback is identified as a method of building leadership capacity
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(Ashford & DeRue, 2012; Birasnav et al., 2011). Experiential learning and opportunities for
growth serve as methods for building leadership capacity (Austin et al., 2011). Application of
learning to life experiences is an opportunity to capitalize on learning opportunities (Ashford &
DeRue, 2012). Providing opportunities to hone skills and increase knowledge increases human
capital through leadership development.
Networking involves being connected to nonprofit related business partners in the form
of suppliers, competitors and customers (Birasnav et al., 2011). This network stream opens up
communication toward a social capital perspective of having the means and ways to influence
progress according to networks made. Human capital is contingent on the social capital leaders
have to make things happen through networking systems.
Building leadership capacity within a nonprofit organization includes recognizing and
implementing strategies to increase the pool of potential leaders. Strengthening leadership
attributes and programs can profit the nonprofit organization by deepening the leader reservoir
and increasing the skills and knowledge of potential leaders. These outcomes will support
nonprofit organizations by positively impacting programs and initiatives.
Challenges to Building Leadership Capacity
Challenges to building leadership capacity are unique to each nonprofit organization.
However, there will be some overlapping challenges identified in literature that can inform
capacity building with leaders. Carman et al. (2010) made note of the Baby Boomer generation
and share the loss of a talent pool when senior leaders retire. This section will look at other
challenges of building leadership capacity as found in the literature and included identifying
potential candidates, funding and resources, and increasing opportunities to expand the human
capital pool.
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Finding willing candidates to step into leadership roles can be a challenge. Identifying
potential leaders who want to serve in leader positions is not always visible (Comini et al., 2013).
It may not be for a lack of trying to promote internal candidates, but rather having potential
leaders turning down positions. Secondly, internal candidates may be overlooked when
identifying potential leaders (Bozer & Kuna, 2013). This may happen when there is no
structured succession plan; therefore, markers of potential leaders have gone unnoticed.
Organizations have had difficulty retaining potential leaders. Nonprofit Finance Fund
(2015) reported that 25% of nonprofit organizations list retaining potential leaders as a great
challenge. Gothard and Austin (2013) outlined four ways to develop and train leaders: (1) align
mission and goals with leadership development strategy, (2) create a supportive organizational
culture, (3) offer training opportunities, and (4) evaluate the outcomes of the development
strategy. By aligning the mission of the organization with the developmental strategy potential
leaders are dedicating time to specific learning experiences that will directly impact their
practice. Organizational culture sets the tone for effective work and a trusting atmosphere.
Making a concerted effort to retain workers by building an organizational culture that is
supportive is advantageous to retaining potential leaders. Training opportunities that align with
work objectives will guide leaders and staff toward fulfilling objectives. Lastly, being reflective
on the outcomes by evaluating the development plan will heighten the strategies and challenges
within an organization.
Birasnav et al. (2011) shared the need for nonprofit organizations to find ways to increase
the human capital pool. The study stated that technology is a communication invention to help
make work effective and should be used to accomplish the vision and to seek new learning
opportunities. However, technology may be unfamiliar territory for some organizations (Hanson
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et al., 2012). Sending electronic communication rather than meeting face-to-face may place a
barrier for some leaders. Organizations may get to a stage when they have outgrown the
leadership and innovative capacity of the leader (Wright, 2013). The challenge here is to
generate a talent pool that contains leaders who can lead according to the new infrastructure and
organization change of the nonprofit organization. Having a lack of confidence in potential
leaders is described by Comini et al. (2013) as a serious barrier to effective succession planning
and building leadership capacity. Increasing the human capital pool means choosing leaders that
can motivate followers to work toward the mission and to effectively use technology.
Having sufficient resources to implement programs is a cost factor that is affecting many
nonprofit organizations (Mataira et al., 2014). Nonprofit Finance Fund (2015) stated 32% of
nonprofit organizations experience the challenge of securing adequate funding. Where there are
funding constraints, exiting leaders feel the need to stay on board to fundraise and prohibit the
leader from letting go of the position (Wright, 2013). Also, potential leaders may not step into
positions, as they may perceive the role of the executive as a fundraiser rather than community
worker.
Leadership succession planning includes variables from complex nonprofit methods for
building leadership capital and identifying challenges for the same. Challenges in building
leadership capacity within the organization will remain if organizations are not willing to focus
on succession planning. However, a strength for nonprofit leaders is working with staff that are
passionate about the mission of the organization. Dedication to the vision and mission of the
nonprofit allows for greater cohesiveness in the work.
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Theoretical Framework
Transformational leadership will be the framework used to guide this study.
Transformational leadership model places concern for others as a priority aim. It looks at a
cohesive relationship between leader and follower, both working together to obtain a common
goal (Northouse, 1997). Northouse (1997) described the framework as having the
transformational power of instilling confidence and value in followers who are then internally
motivated to increase their level of work. Transformational leadership is a process of growing
people into their full potential to increase individual development and support mission goals.
Kouzes and Posner (2012) utilized the framework of transformational leadership by building a
model of five fundamental practices that support exemplary leadership. These practices include:
(1) model the way, (2) inspire a shared vision, (3) challenge the process, (4) enable others to act
and (5) encourage the heart (Kouzes & Posner, 2012).
This study focuses on three of the five practices of this leadership design: model the way,
inspire a shared vision, and enable others to act. The chosen practices relate directly to building
leadership capacity within Hawaiian-based nonprofits. Engage the heart and challenge the
process are the remaining two leadership practices that were not chosen for this study. Engage
the heart is esteemed to be largely redundant with inspire a vision in the context of nonprofit
organizations which are mission and values driven. The leadership practice of challenge the
process is not suitable as the studied organization is an emergent, grass roots organization, which
presents few established processes to challenge. The three identified practices of this leadership
model are described below.
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Model the Way
Leaders model the behaviors they would like to see among their followers. As leaders
model exemplary behavior followers will better understand the behaviors they should emulate. It
is also important to note the values of followers, allowing others to have a voice in determining
shared values within the organization. This process gains trust between leaders and followers.
By consistently doing what is said, followers see the determination of leaders to live the standard
they have set for themselves and the organization. Modeling behaviors may look like mentoring,
coaching, and giving concise and clear feedback.
Inspire a Shared Vision
Leaders need to have a vision, or a blueprint of the desired result, before a plan is put into
action. Having a detailed plan that has a starting point, a map, and an end destination is
important to reaching the goal. This vision is just a thought until it is communicated to others. It
is necessary to articulate the vision in such a way that it inspires followers in enthusiasm and
direction that they choose to enlist in the journey. Choosing to participate shows dedication and
commitment to the vision. To inspire a shared vision consists of teamwork, leaders working
alongside followers, and communicating openly and sincerely.
Enable Others to Act
Enabling others to act consists of giving followers the opportunity to learn through their
own experiences. It also means leaders need to trust that followers will be accountable to their
assignments, performing quality work. This principle focuses on the importance of self-
confidence and empowering followers to realize their potential. By allowing followers to
increase their competency and realize their abilities, the organization will be strengthened by
having developed many quality leaders.
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Three practices of exemplary leadership, as described by Kouzes and Posner (2012)
represent leadership principles that can guide organizations to successfully build leadership
capacity. Understanding the importance of relationship building, experience to practice, and
allowing followers to be accountable for their work increases capacity and the strength of the
organization.
Summary
Nonprofit organizations have a need to establish promising practices that will build
leadership capacity within their organizations. This starts with administrators identifying
potential leaders through robust methods of talent identification. It means looking at the
experiences and opportunities available to workers to develop skills and knowledge to increase
their capacity. Practices that engender application of learning and implementation into work
assignments yield greater results in building leadership capacity.
The literature does not speak directly to promising practices of Hawaiian-based nonprofit
organizations. Using Hawaiian values, concepts, or beliefs when creating or implementing
programs or curriculum is unique to the Hawaiian Islands. This cultural approach to the
organization mission and service delivery is uncharted research. Studying Hawaiian-based
nonprofit organizations will allow other organizations to consider the depth of using a cultural
perspective when building a nonprofit organization.
The next section will address the research methods and research design of the study. A
theoretical framework will be introduced. Emerging themes from the literature will illustrate the
conceptual framework of the study. Ethical considerations, including the confidentiality and the
use of the IRB will be included.

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CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
This study examined promising practices of building leadership capacity within a
Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization. Nonprofit organizations are defined as charitable
organizations that provide service to the greater community. These organizations are affected by
the aging and subsequent retirement of senior leadership. When senior leadership exits the
workplace the talent and knowledge they have garnered also exits. Succession planning through
leadership capacity building is critical to the ongoing sustainability of nonprofit organizations.
Researching promising practices of building leadership will increase the sustaining power of
such organizations. Identifying promising practices of nonprofit organizations will also promote
models of capacity building that can be duplicated within other nonprofit organizations.
Chapter 3 presents the research design and data collection strategy used to answer the two
research questions about leadership capacity building. Within Chapter 3, the nonprofit study site
and participants are described. The theoretical framework of Transformational Leadership will
highlight Kouzes and Posner’s (2012) three promising leadership practices. Then the conceptual
framework is introduced illustrating relevant practices and challenges of identifying promising
practices. To answer the research questions, the data collection methods are shared, identifying
the development and purpose of the instruments. Lastly, this chapter also examines the ethical
considerations of the study.
Research Questions
Studying nonprofit organizations and their method of succession planning through
building leadership capacity, the thematic group of Hawaii 2013 collaborated in developing two
research questions:
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1. In what ways does a Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization work to build the next
generation of leaders?
2. What are the factors that both facilitate and inhibit the development and
implementation of strategies designed to build leadership capacity?
Research Design
Qualitative design was used to answer the research questions. This design is used to
establish a holistic perspective of the problem that has been identified (Creswell, 2013).
Qualitative research is generative and allows rich investigations of the meaning individuals
attach to life experiences and how these meanings construct their worldview (Merriam, 2009).
Qualitative design is an investigation of a problem and focuses on the process rather than the
outcome of research inquiry (Merriam, 2009). A rich description of data informs the research
through investigating the context and experiences captured through this design. Data from the
narratives are gleaned through interviews, observations and documents (Creswell, 2013;
Merriam, 2009).
Qualitative research can use both the inductive and deductive approach in analyzing data;
however, the inductive investigation strategy is known to be a hallmark of this research design
(Ravitch & Riggan, 2012). Inductive investigation is the process of gathering information to
construct concepts or theory to guide the research (Merriam, 2009). Merriam describes
qualitative research as having the design flexibility that allows the research to discover or
interpret multiple realities to make meaning of the data. Qualitative research can be collected as
case studies of specific people or events (Merriam, 2009). Case studies allow in-depth analysis
of a system that is contained as a specific phenomenon of inquiry.
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Merriam (2009) described the benefits of using interviews as a data collection method for
qualitative research. Interviews are described in qualitative research as having a conversation
with a purpose. Interviewing is a method of gathering information that cannot otherwise be
observed, such as how an individual is feeling or thinking. Interviewing in qualitative research
directly relates to how the researcher answers the research questions. Through the process of
asking questions, researchers are able to glean deeper understanding of an individual’s intention
toward something or about the state of mind during an experience. Interviewing is a profound
method to gather opinions and values of a person. Interviewing is a way to gain insight into the
history of individual by having stories recounted describing personal narratives. This type of
data collection enables a design to make inquiry meaningful (Merriam, 2009).
Observations are unique to qualitative research and pertain to the naturalist approach to
data collection (Merriam, 2009). The goal of conducting observations is to go to the participant
and observe the individual in a natural setting (Merriam, 2009). Observing the participant in a
natural setting is intended to increase the level of comfort of the participant being observed.
Triangulation of a participant’s interview answers and real life actions is verified through
observation within a real setting (Merriam, 2009). Seeing the dynamics of relationships and
watching the behavior of people around the participant can lend much insight into the participant
being observed (Merriam, 2009). Through observations, the researcher is able to describe the
behavior and interactions of participants.
Utilizing documents as a data collection option informs research studies. Creswell
(2013) describes the use of documents as a means for the research to view information that
contains language and words used by participants of the study. Documents usually represent
data that participants have given much attention (Creswell, 2013). Creswell (2013) noted the use
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of public documents, such as meeting minutes or newspaper clippings, and private documents,
such as journals or diary entries. Other possible examples of documents may be site specific,
such as program plans, leadership workshop materials, and handouts used for group meetings.
To triangulate data, interviews and observations in addition to analyzing documents were
conducted. Identifying commonalities among these study approaches solidifies the content and
consistency of responses (Merriam, 2009).
Sample and Population
To capture quality results of leadership capacity building at a Hawaiian-based nonprofit
organization, the sampling technique of purposeful selection was used. Purposeful selection of
participants is grounded on pre-established criteria of the research study (Merriam, 2009). This
sampling technique focused on individuals with expertise in the area relating to the research
questions (Maxwell, 2013). The participants of this study were deliberately chosen to provide
specific information that could be obtained only by those with direct experience with the
organization.
Eight members of the nonprofit organization participated in this study. Participants were
directly associated with the study site and pre-selected by the president of the organization.
Participants represented leaders within managerial or other leadership roles and who could speak
to leadership development and succession planning within the organization.
Each participant was supplied a recruitment letter requesting permission to include him in
the study (Appendix A). Once participation was confirmed, the research began with necessary
steps to identify interviewing and observation opportunities.
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Overview of Organization
As the research questions focused on Hawaiian-based nonprofit organizations, this study
intentionally focused on an organization that is based from a Hawaiian world-view perspective
and is registered as a nonprofit organization. As stated earlier, Hawaiian-based nonprofits are
established on concepts, values, or beliefs drawn from Hawaiian principles. The studied site
serves the nonprofit and human service goal of positively impacting communities. Positive
impact to communities is done through community-based programs and utilization of community
partnerships.
The studied organization has two main office locations; however, community-based
programs are established at 275 worksite locations throughout the state. Programs focus on
strengthening youth and young adults to hone leadership skills in land and culture conservation.
Activities in land and culture conservation consist of, but are not limited to, audits of energy
consumption and operational expenses within organizations, wind farm energy production
internships, planting of trees native to the Hawaiian Islands, preserving historical and cultural
sites, youth participation in conservation leadership conferences, conducting community service
opportunities to highlight conservation needs and to connect people to care for the land. The
studied organization is comprised of approximately 25 full-time employees, seven Board of
Director members, and have directly serviced over 2,600 youth and young adult interns between
the ages of 16 and 24 years old.
Data were gathered and focused around promising practices of leadership development.
The research site engages community partners and a volunteer enlistment program. Engagement
of community partners and volunteers demonstrates the importance of relationship building
efforts. Paralleling these accomplishments within the succession planning of the organization
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denotes the possibility of showcasing a strong organization demonstrating promising practices of
leadership capacity building.
Theoretical Framework
As described in Chapter 2, the theoretical framework focused on three of Kouzes and
Posner’s (2012) five fundamental practices of leadership development. These practices are
labeled as: model the way, inspire a shared vision, and enable others to act. This framework is
described within the style of transformational leadership.
Studying this nonprofit organization examined the relationship between leaders and
followers and how those interactions build the leadership capacity of followers.
Transformational leaders have the ability to instill confidence and higher expectations within
those they lead (Northouse, 1997). In this way, transformational leaders can directly assist
positive behavioral changes and intrinsic motivation toward goal accomplishment among
followers.
Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework was created from literature of known approaches that have
impacted promising practices of building leadership capacity. Literature identifies challenges
and strengths of nonprofit organizations when considering leadership succession.
Designed by the thematic group of Hawaii Cohort 2013 and based on emerging themes
from the literature review, Figure 1 identifies the conceptual framework utilized to identify
strategies that affect a succession plan for sustainable leadership.

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Figure 1. Conceptual framework (Ed.D Thematic Group, 2013)

Figure 1 illustrates the identified practices and challenges organizations may face when
implementing a leadership succession plan. The themes from literature consist of strategies to
develop a succession plan such as: identifying and retaining potential leaders, developing
knowledge and skills, and developing supporting practices, all work to impact building
leadership capacity. The challenges of finding willing candidates, learning new curriculum or
knowledge, and securing resources are also identified in the literature. Themes and challenges
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identified in the literature were considered by using the three identified practices of leadership
development by Kouzes and Posner (2012).
Data Collection
Data collection was conducted through interviews, observations, and pertinent document
analysis. A cooperative design effort with members of the thematic group afforded a semi-
structured interview protocol and a strategic observation protocol.
Obtaining rich data from participants meant selecting the best possible research
participants to participate in the study. With the assistance of the CEO of the nonprofit
organization, the researcher identified key leaders who shared their insight through interviews.
Observations took place within two community workday events where all key leaders were
present. Documents were obtained and reviewed to analyze the data. These documents
consisted of a CEO succession plan, job posting descriptions, an annual report, and a public-
based webpage.
Table 1 identifies participants in this study. Data collection included interviews with all
participants. Face-to-face interviews allowed the researcher to collect data specific to the
interview protocol and ask probing questions that clarified answers (Creswell, 2013). Relevant
characteristics of the participants are highlighted to show significance to the study.
The information presented in Table 1 highlights the participants in the study and the
significant role established for the selected study. This is a young nonprofit organization that
was established ten years ago. Leaders within the organization fall within three category of
years: 1-3, 4-7, or 7-10. With the exception of one Program Coordinator, senior leader’s roles
within the organization follow years of experience. For the purpose of this study, leadership
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levels were identified as Senior and Mid-level leadership. The study looked at these relevant
factors to collect rich data to inform identifying promising practices of leadership development.

Table 1
Participants in the Study
Role of Participant Years in the organization Leadership Level
Chief Executive Officer Between 7-10 years Senior
Chief Operating Officer Between 7-10 years Senior
Program Director Between 4-7 years Senior
Program Director Between 4-7 years Senior
Program Coordinator Between 4-7 years Mid-Level
Program Coordinator Between 1-3 years Mid-Level
Program Manager Between 1-3 years Mid-Level
Program Manager Between 1-3 years Mid-Level

Instrumentation
This study utilized an interview protocol and observational protocol, along with a
collection of organization documents to capture the data. A semi-structured interview approach
was used to capture quality data. This approach allowed the interviewer to be flexible regarding
how the questions were asked, conversational with the skill of consistency throughout
questioning, and asking probing questions to gather richer data (Merriam, 2009). The
opportunity to ask probing questions allows flexibility and is less rigid than a structured
approach to interviewing.
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46
Asking open-ended questions through exploratory questioning yielded greater descriptive
data (Merriam, 2009). Interview questions were worded to engage the participant to think deeply
of answers throughout the interview. Types of open-ended questioning are hypothetical, devil’s
advocate, and interpretive (Merriam, 2009). Asking questions in various ways allowed for the
participant to respond from different perspectives.
Merriam (2009) refered to the observation protocol as a primary source of qualitative
data. Observations give a first-hand account of behavior in the context of a natural setting
(Merriam, 2009). Observations are useful when done systematically with the research questions
in mind (Merriam, 2009). It is important to observe participants interacting within the natural
work setting to see the dynamics and interactions among workers. The observation of the
physical setting, participants within the setting, the activity at hand, and the role participants play
within the setting all factor into rich data observation (Merriam, 2009).
Documents analyzed for the study generated rich insight into the organization’s
perspective on leadership capacity. Documents are beneficial to the researcher because
documents impart information that is informed in a discreet manner (Creswell, 2013). Using
documents is also convenient for the researcher because documents are generated within the
organization and thus represent the organization culture and perspective.
Interview and observation protocols, along with the acquiring of significant documents,
focused on answering the prescribed research questions. Illustrated in Table 2 is a matrix of the
utilization of these instruments.
The goal of the proposed instruments was to have a balanced response from each data
collection approach. Generating many responses from the three instruments assisted in
triangulating the data and answering the research questions.
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Table 2
Research Questions as Instrumentation
Research Questions Interviews Observations Documents
1. In what ways does a Hawaiian-based non-profit
organization work to build the next generation of
leaders?
X X X
2. What are the factors that both facilitate and inhibit
the development and implementation of strategies
designed to build leadership capacity?
X X X

Data Analysis
Data from this study has been analyzed to identify promising practices of building
leadership capacity. Data collected from interviews, observations, and documents were
comprehensive and of a large quantity. An important data analysis step was to sort through the
data and look for key themes that were identified from all respondents.
Creswell (2013) suggested a linear approach to analyzing data. Creswell’s six steps
began with organizing the raw data from interview transcripts, observational field notes, and
documents. The next step was to read through all the data collected to get a general sense of the
information gathered and its meaning. The third step was to begin coding the data while in
transcript or field notes form. This step began the categorization of material into terms or topics
that surfaced through the reading of the material. The fourth step involved generating a
description of the people and setting involved in the study, as well as generating categories or
themes that will be presented as the major findings of the study. In step five major findings were
presented as described through narratives, images, or other visuals. The final step concluded
with making meaning of the data. Generated from this step was a discussion on how the findings
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48
related to previous literature, recommendations for future studies, or what the implications of the
study may be in practice (Creswell, 2013).
In Figure 2, the steps of Creswell’s data analysis are presented as outlined by the thematic
group of the 2013 cohort. Creswell’s six steps assist the researcher in validating the accuracy of
the information collected (Creswell, 2013).

Figure 2. Creswell’s six steps of data analysis

Creswell’s data analysis approach in qualitative data allows the researcher to fully
appreciate the content of the data collected. Creswell’s six steps give the researcher the
opportunity to present the information as offered by participants in a meaningful way.
Ethical Considerations
When working with human subjects it is essential to receive approval from the
institutional review board (IRB) of the university (Creswell, 2013). This process allows for
Step 1
Organize
and
prepare
data for
analysis
Step 2
Read
through
all data
Step 3
Begin
analysis
and
coding of
data
Step 4
Code data
to identify
descriptions
of main
themes and
categories
Step 5
Decide
how to use
themes and
categories
in study
narrative
Step 6
Interpret
and make
meaning
of the
data
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49
university studies to conduct research with human subjects by first establishing the protocols to
protect and do-no-harm to participants by their involvement with the study. The thematic group
of Hawaii Cohort 2013 completed a group IRB and received approval to administer the study.
Confidentiality was closely monitored throughout all stages of the study (Creswell,
2013). Having a designated location for data collection that was not accessible to others was
important. Also, using pseudonyms in place for locations, people, and program names was
important to keep information confidential. Once the study was completed collected data was
destroyed.
Clearly explaining the rights of the participant to discontinue participation in the study
was addressed. Participation in the study was voluntary with special attention that no participant
felt coerced to engage in the study.
Summary
Chapter 3 discussed the methodology that was utilized in collecting and analyzing the
data of the study. Chapter 3 also described attributes of the research site that correlated with the
purpose and unique characteristics of the research questions. Using a theoretical framework
founded in transformational leadership points to promising practices of leadership behaviors that
can be observed in the study. The conceptual framework produced by the thematic group
examined themes in literature that showcase possible behaviors of promising practices. Ethical
considerations were a priority when working with human subjects and are an important aspect of
the methodology of this study.
Chapter 4 presents the findings gleaned from the data collection.

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CHAPTER 4
RESULTS
The goal of this study was to observe a Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization to
determine promising practices of leadership capacity building. Leadership building strategies of
this nonprofit organization may inform other nonprofit organizations in ways which
organizations can work to build the next generation of leaders. As such, the study was designed
to investigate the practices that both facilitate as well as inhibit the development and
implementation of strategies to develop leadership capacity. Leaders at Mālama ʻĀina were
asked to share their experiences with leadership succession management practices. This chapter
introduces details about the study’s participants and presents the results of the inquiry by
research question.
To explore leadership capacity building within a Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization
two research questions were developed to organize the study:
1. In what ways does a Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization work to build the next
generation of leaders?
2. What are the factors that both facilitate and inhibit the development and
implementation of strategies designed to build leadership capacity?
Data were collected through interviews with participants, observations at two community
workdays, the nonprofit annual report, the nonprofit succession plan document, nonprofit
newsletters, webpage, and job descriptions. A brief overview of the study participants will be
shared, followed by a discussion of the findings according to the study research questions.
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Participants
Eight participants were purposefully selected for this study as referred by senior
management of the participating nonprofit organization. For this study, leaders will be
considered as members of the team that hold positions of authority to create change in the
organization. All leaders willingly agreed to sit for a face-to-face interview and to be observed
during a work activity, event or meeting. Two community workday observation activities were
attended to witness the employment of leadership capacity building in action. The two
observation opportunities spanned a combined seven hours of conservation work harvested by
the nonprofit leaders, interns, and community volunteers. As the study findings are discussed,
the first community workday observation will simply be noted as “CW1” and the second
community workday observation will be noted as “CW2.”
Participant leaders in this study have worked for the organization between one and ten
years. Four of the interviewed leaders participated within the organization as program
participants, or interns, when their journey with the organization first began. The process of
hiring interns for full-time positions seems to be a hallmark of this nonprofit organization and
will be discussed further in the findings.
All leaders in the study hold titles somewhere in the two top tiers of the organization. A
total of eight participants were selected, four from senior level leadership and four representing
leadership stakeholders from a middle level leadership. Four of the eight leaders interviewed
were promoted through one of the organization’s internship programs. Table 3 displays
participation groups according to their pseudonym name, leadership group, and succession
pipeline as a former intern with the organization.

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Table 3
Pseudonyms of Participants
Pseudonym Mid-Level Leadership Senior Leadership Succession Pipeline: Intern
Leader A X Intern
Leader C X Intern
Leader H X Intern
Leader O X
Leader S X
Leader E X
Leader N X Intern
Leader P X

Table 3 identifies leadership groups with pseudonym names assigned to conceal the
identity of participants. The eight study participants will be referred to as Leader A, Leader C,
Leader H, Leader O, Leader S, Leader E, Leader N, and Leader P. Other leaders not listed above
who work within the same organization, but were not interviewed for this study, however were
present during observation note taking, may be referred to in the findings below with titles such
as: program coordinator, intern, or organization leader. For the purpose of this study, the name
of the nonprofit organization has been concealed and in place the name, Mālama ʻĀina, will be
used. The next section will give an overview of the organization followed by results of each
research question.
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Overview of Organization — Mālama ʻĀina
Mālama ʻāina is a Hawaiian saying that translated means ‘to care for the land.’ The
studied nonprofit is an organization created to develop leaders who will employ green jobs that
will sustain the beauty and natural environment of the Hawaiian Islands. Mālama ʻāina can be
worded in the professional sector as conservation. Conservation work, otherwise noted in this
study as mālama ʻāina, is the vehicle to successfully honor the mission and vision of the studied
nonprofit organization. The Hawaiʻi state motto as proclaimed by Kamehameha III reads, “Ua
mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono” which translates into ‘The life of the land is perpetuated in
righteousness’ (Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes, 1979). This motto embodies the purpose the studied
nonprofit organization was created and continually works to impact the green state of the
Hawaiian Islands. A sacred connection between man, God and land is core to Mālama ʻĀina
work.
Mālama ʻĀina is a small nonprofit organization established in the State of Hawaiʻi. The
organization employs approximately 25 full-time employees and services approximately 300
participants each year. Mālama ʻĀina is funded mainly through grants and donor sponsors and
utilizes community partnerships to fulfill its mission. The organization promotes several
programs that focus on learning experiences in conservation through vocational training,
education degree achievement and service learning opportunities. These programs aim to reach
youth and young adults within the spectrum of under-resourced youth to recent high school
graduates, college students, college graduates and graduating corps members. Program
timetables vary between three months and one year. Upon completion of a program, interns are
encouraged to pursue leadership roles in environmental issues and to attain higher education or
employment. The organization offers some post-program internship or on-the-job training
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positions that allow program interns to be leaders within the programs they recently participated
in.
Conservation work modeled through a Hawaiian cultural perspective drives leaders to
reach positive outcomes for participants and communities. The next section will discuss the
results of the study as outlined by research questions and informed by leader interviews,
observations at community workdays, and organization specific documents.
Results: Research Question 1
The first research question asked, “In what ways does a Hawaiian-based nonprofit
organization work to build the next generation of leaders?” Results of this study mimic the
literature of nonprofit organizations in that Mālama ʻĀina does not have an institutionalized
succession plan to train lower and mid-level leaders for senior leadership. However, unlike
many nonprofit organizations, Mālama ʻĀina has a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) succession
plan in the event of a planned or unplanned CEO departure from the organization. This
succession plan stops at the CEO position and is not readily known throughout the organization.
However, the CEO succession plan does touch on characteristics of leadership to be sought and
mentored within all levels of leadership at Mālama ʻĀina.
Having interviewed key members of the leadership team, promising practices of
leadership capacity building emerged across the organization that highlighted an organizational
culture that supports continual learning and growth toward leadership roles. As noted earlier,
although these practices are not noted in an institutionalized succession plan, the practices
surfaced attributes and behaviors of leadership preparation as well as tools and resources that
support continual learning throughout the organization. Additionally, the promising practices of
leadership capacity building at Mālama ʻĀina naturally integrate Western and Hawaiian thinking
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55
and doing. Senior leadership at Mālama ʻĀina highlight the strengths and capacity of both
cultures when positive attributes of both are utilized as teaching tools.
Findings to this research question will be presented utilizing tenets of transformational
leadership and Kouzes and Posner’s (2012) fundamental practices of leadership development.
Having reviewed the data, four overarching promising practices are identified as strategies to
build leadership capacity at a Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization: growing interns into
leaders, mentorship as a capacity building strategy, continual learning is an organization
expectation, and stretching assignments demonstrate ability.
Growing Interns into Leaders
Internship positions at Mālama ʻĀina are structured differently than at most nonprofit
organizations. Rather than naming program participants “clients” or “beneficiaries” they are
called “interns.” Findings report that four out of the eight interviewed leaders were once interns
with Mālama ʻĀina. This statistic shows the strength and critical role of interns in the succession
process. It appears that as interns hone skills in the area of conservation they likewise are
preparing for possible full-time positions within the organization.
Speaking to the legacy of hiring interns as full-time staff, Leader S said: “I . . . feel like
literally we raised them up, you know? From right out of college through the internship and now
they’re staff. So I feel super responsible for their continued success.” Leader N emphasizes the
legacy of bringing on interns as staff by stating, “from right out of college through this last two
years, we’ve had a lot . . . we’ve probably had eight of those interns have become staff members
in the last year or two.” That interns are intentionally groomed to consider leadership positions
within the organization is a great accomplishment for this nonprofit. Hiring leaders within
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Mālama ʻĀina demonstrate confidence in the ability to nurture potential leaders to a high
standard of performance.
As several leaders are past interns of the organization, the pattern of choosing interns that
exemplify the mission is critical. Mālama ʻĀina separates itself from other nonprofit
organizations by having a clearly stated motto called CHOSEN. CHOSEN stands for character,
humility, ʻohana (family), service, excellence, and nobility. This motto provides a quality
performance guide for leaders. In addition to guiding leaders, the motto also strategically
outlines the qualities assessed when hiring interns. Leader A shared that when hiring for new
positions they look for “people who have a good heart and a passion to serve and be a change
agent within the community.” Leader E continued to share, “you’re CHOSEN to be here at this
time to give your service but it’s really more than that. It’s really about investing in who you are
and bringing your heart to the office.”
When thinking about succession planning, Leader P stated he looks internally and
externally and asks himself, “who would have that right heart?” The importance of “heart” is a
theme connected to identifying and retaining interns as potential leaders with Mālama ʻĀina.
Leader A, when talking about assessing potential leaders said, “get to the heart of the individual
and what their passions are, who they are as a person, where their strengths are, maybe where the
areas that need growth and to work with.” Leader N spoke of potential leadership qualities by
saying, “so heart is . . . you’re not in it to get something for yourself, but you’re in it because you
have a purpose.” Leaders at Mālama ʻĀina share an optimistic perspective for potential leaders
and look for qualities that include attitude, character, and heart that support the mission of the
organization. In their capacity building approach, senior leaders at Mālama ʻĀina pay close
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attention to the development of interns, specifically to behavior and attitude of interns. Leader N
spoke to the leadership development of interns:
I think as an organization they have the heart to serve and they have the heart to try to
give back to the people. ‘Cause that’s what we’re all about I think, is giving back to the
community. So we can see if they have that heart to give back. Identifying those people,
then when we have openings in our organization, we do recruit a lot from there. I mean
we’re nearly 50% of our current staff, 15 people, or maybe not that many, but 10-12
people are past members of our program. So there’s [sic] a lot of people here that were
interns with [Mālama ʻĀina] before.
Being two of the four interviewed leaders who were former interns with Mālama ʻĀina,
Leaders H and Leader C both spoke about their former roles as interns. They spoke to being
direct service providers working with the field crews out on the land. Leader C shared his
thoughts on being asked to serve as a leader, “so the fact that you’re going out and looking at
your programs and taking those leaders and then employing them, I think it [Mālama ʻĀina]
definitely places an importance on developing leaders.” Leader E, speaking to the strength of the
intern programs shares it is a “natural path” of succession when “you’re empowering a youth to
get involved in our community and then they become such a strong candidate, they end up
hiring,” and speaking to leadership opportunities, “staff . . . have come up the ranks and are now
senior managers. So they definitely have been given skills along the way that allow them to keep
growing in the organization.” There is a natural course of acquiring rich skills that promising
interns are promoted to senior management positions within the organization. Mālama ʻĀina
demonstrates promoting leaders from within the intern pool as an unwritten succession plan
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utilized to hire potential leaders. This approach has served the organization well as the agency
continues to service new and returning interns through its programs.
The intern pool proved strong at CW1 and CW2, which had participation from many
current and former interns of Mālama ʻĀina. All interns volunteered at the events with positive
energy and a willingness to work. Their attendance and hard work is a testament to the
relationship they have with one another and the organization. Whether they seek full-time
positions is unknown, as this information was not captured. However, that 50-60 interns arrive
to continue the work of Mālama ʻĀina as volunteer interns show the dedication they have to the
mission of the organization and are living proof of the vision of growing leaders in conservation
work.
Recognizing potential leaders in interns is important for senior leadership to intentionally
support the professional development of interns. Developing interns involves assessing intern
strengths and opportunities for growth, and encouraging an open dialogue throughout the
journey. Leader E, speaking to the organizational mission to invest in interns, “we’re really
investing in empowering youth. Empowering youth is what we do. They are the next
generation. They are the next leaders for us to be able to give them skills.” Investing in
individuals requires leaders to spend time working alongside followers and leading by example.
It may also mean giving followers words of encouragement to express confidence in their growth
trajectory. Leaders at Mālama ʻĀina demonstrated their willingness to support the leadership
growth of interns while at CW1 by calling out exemplary moments. For example, a program
coordinator at CW1 said words of affirmation to the hard working group of interns such as, “it
looks good!” and “awesome!” While Leader A shouted, “good job everybody!” at the same
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workday. When leaders offer words of encouragement while the work is being done it tells
followers what behaviors are valued when looking to hire for potential leadership positions.
Identifying and calling out positive behaviors also showed the trajectory of potential
leaders. Observations from CW1 and CW2 noted leaders engaged in conversation with
organization interns. Professionally, leaders took the time to clarify tasks and give feedback to
interns, while personally, they stopped to inquire about family and life events of interns.
Throughout the day, leaders and interns worked persistently and with good attitudes. These
interchanges modeled positive behavior to potential leaders and also allowed leaders time to
strengthen relationships with interns. Describing the important role of character and other
leadership qualities, below are comments from leaders within Mālama ʻĀina when assessing for
potential leaders.
Leader P shared that having the ability to work with people “is critical to developing
leaders” and those who can nurture quality relationships, “has the potential for leadership.”
Recognizing the importance of healthy relationships as key to leadership capacity building
demonstrates the promise leaders see in interns as they are groomed for leadership roles. When
identifying someone with leadership potential Leader S stated her course of action, “I would tap
them on the shoulder. I would say, “hey that was great. I like the way you did this, this, and
that.” All the while, in her mind she is thinking, ‘ok, I need to hire that person.’” Leader S
continued to explain that she would talk with the person to develop a plan, “to figure out how to
really get them involved.” Acknowledging quality leadership traits and letting a follower know
they are performing well supports the process of building leadership capacity. Acknowledging
characteristics of leadership also supports the retention of potential leaders within the
organization.
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Leader E spoke to the goal of helping staff realize their career path and responds to
statements such as, “I don’t know where to go from here.” She further spoke to the idea of
helping people reach their potential within the organization by exploring ideas:
I think ensuring that there is a path forward in your career is important. I think it’s
important for them to understand that before you jump ship or see something else that’s
exciting, that you understand that here’s an opportunity and if you come and if we’re
open and we talk about it, that maybe something is opening up here that you weren’t even
aware of.
She talked to helping others build skill and leadership capacity to advance in knowledge and
leadership opportunities. Growing people to reach their potential is a goal Mālama ʻĀina leaders
agree upon. Leader A shared:
I think our agency is very different because we take more of a holistic approach of the
person as a whole and really wanting . . . trying to pull out the best in them and raise
them up . . . so it’s very much about growing the person as a whole.
Leader S, regarding the potential of leaders within Mālama ʻĀina, “always room for growth.”
Both of these leaders suggest that leaders have opportunity for continual learning and growth to
reach leadership potential.
As Mālama ʻĀina aims to fulfill its mission in conservation work, it also strategically
grooms potential leaders within its intern pool. The organization encourages leaders and
followers to reach their potential. Leader S summarized this well by stating, “administration
means to help our people, staff as well as our interns that come through our program, help them
find their best place in life.” Hiring from within the intern pool is an internal succession process
within this nonprofit organization. Interns who become leaders at Mālama ʻĀina proved that
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they have the characteristics as described in their motto CHOSEN: character, humility, ʻohana
(family), service, excellence, and nobility. CHOSEN values are held dear to the organization
and is the training foundation for all potential leaders. Describing CHOSEN further, senior
leaders identify the characteristics of having “heart” for the work, potential to demonstrate
CHOSEN leadership, and the ability to nurture healthy relationships as key characteristics of
potential leaders. They understand the culture of Mālama ʻĀina and have the ability to fulfill the
mission of the organization.
Mentorship as a Capacity Building Strategy
Leaders at Mālama ʻĀina teach by doing the work, which speaks to the importance of
mentoring as the second theme of the capacity building strategy. Modeling the behaviors that
leaders desire followers to emulate is a principle of transformational leadership described by
Kouzes and Posner (2012). Quality mentorship lends to increased knowledge for the mentee
which supports a greater capacity to lead. Leaders of Mālama ʻĀina employed the strategy of
mentoring and demonstrated leadership capacity building in action.
Creating a work environment that allows followers to see behaviors of positive leadership
exposed followers to new learning opportunities. Leader H expressed that his leadership growth
can be attributed to what he values about his boss, “mentoring and appreciation for people.” He
explained that he sees his boss making time for people and it inspires him to be better, to
continue learning and growing. Leader H, speaking to his boss as mentor stated, “mental
fortitude . . . he creates perspective . . . and [he] can just sit there and listen and talk and
communicate back and forth.” Leader H shared how his mentor at Mālama ʻĀina has the
capacity to engage people in conversation. Leaders as mentors can contribute to building
leadership capacity by showing what needs to be done, and then taking the time later to share
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with followers why they led the way they did. Leaders as mentors are important for perspective
and guidance. Leader E expressed that he looks to mentors for guidance, “when I just need
someone else to talk to” and spoke to the importance of how mentors continually impact his
leadership journey. These mentors offer perspective and knowledge to support the upward
growth of followers.
Leaders are mentors who have knowledge and skills to impart to followers. Leader A at
the community workday prepared interns on the assignments of the day by offering direction and
instruction. She took the time to share new information and prepared followers for the
assignments to accomplish. She then described what success would look like at the end of the
day. This form of mentorship allowed interns to hear what was expected of them and offered
guidance toward the end result. This leader recognized that although interns had the skill to
accomplish the tasks, she needed to mentor interns so they clearly understood how to employ
their skills in the best possible way. This example demonstrated how seriously leaders at
Mālama ʻĀina take the mentorship role when building the next generation of leaders.
Mentorship can be easily be employed when there is a healthy relationship between
leader and follower. Regarding the importance of creating healthy relationships as a strategy to
build leadership capacity, Leader P said, “I think that having good relationships allows for
communication, and good communication allows for feedback. We need to always be a place
that has healthy relationships, healthy communication, and healthy feedback to developing
leaders.” Leaders demonstrated the importance of building relationships with followers in the
effort to strengthen their leadership capacity. Leader E took time while at CW2 to engage in
conversation with organization participants, happily getting caught-up with life events. The
small group stood in a circle and shared stories and laughed together. At CW1 Leader P
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extended a hand of fellowship to everyone he met, new acquaintances and old friends alike. He
modeled the value of creating and strengthening healthy relationships to build leadership
capacity.
Keeping open lines of communication through mentorship guidance is another
opportunity for leaders to make a difference in building leadership capacity. Leader E shared her
perspective on this aspect of mentorship by describing her role of “leading by example” by
sitting near her team, “they see me work . . . we have meetings every week.” She talked about
inviting followers to openly communicate struggles and opinions about their work. She spoke to
brainstorming ideas and openly discussing work assignments as a strategy to develop leadership,
but believes it important to “not do their work for them and have them do it themselves” as a
way to strengthen leadership skills. In this way, her mentorship style includes being close
enough to model exemplary leadership, extend support toward work assignments when needed,
but allowing followers the opportunity to discover their leadership strength by doing the work
themselves.
Four leaders at Mālama ʻĀina express that their mentors are some of their greatest
cheerleaders. Leader S shared that she received a lot of encouragement from senior management
when being promoted in the agency. Taking on new or different responsibilities can be
intimidating, having someone to support the transition process can make a big difference to
budding leaders. Leader A also spoke about her senior management as people who have
encouraged her along the way. Encouragement and examples of leadership are pivotal to
leadership development. Leader C made mention of the mentorship he received from his direct
boss by stating, “he’s been able to teach me things and push me off and then I’ll have questions
and I’ll circle back around.” Mentoring was instrumental in the leadership development of
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64
Leader C as he learned his way at Mālama ʻĀina. This experience was similar for Leader H
when speaking to his boss’ role in building his leadership capacity, “[he] was definitely
instrumental in that . . . development . . . allowing us to debrief the day and unwind . . . he helped
me, guide me through that transition of . . . that green phase if you will.”
Mentorship practices have impacted leadership capacity building for all leaders at
Mālama ʻĀina. Relationship building, open communication, and appreciating leaders as prime
supporters have made a difference in the lives of these leaders. Leaders as mentors have the
opportunity to shape experience and impart knowledge that support the follower in continued
learning and strengthen their capacity to support the mission and vision of the organization.
Continual Learning is an Organization Expectation
Development of knowledge and skills is the third identified strategy that builds leadership
capacity at Mālama ʻĀina. All eight interviewed leaders shared a degree of gratitude for the
opportunity to have formal and informal learning opportunities. Opportunities ranged from
human resource conducted trainings to day-to-day coaching and mentorship by senior staff
members. Leaders of Mālama ʻĀina share a mutual respect for peer mentorship and teaching,
stemming from recognition that all leaders bring specialized knowledge to the team.
Looking to increase leadership capacity, Mālama ʻĀina has intentionally positioned its
organization to give leaders the opportunity to increase their knowledge and skills. Leadership
within Mālama ʻĀina seems to understand that there are many sources of knowledge and
opportunities for new learning. Leaders P and E talked about perspective and taking every
opportunity to learn from the experience of others. They talked about bringing professionals
from other fields in to talk to staff as well as going outside the organization to learn from other
programs. Findings related to formal learning opportunities are presented in the form of human
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resource trainings, conference attendance, on-island speakers and organization visioning and
development days.
Three leaders spoke to formal training programs that they are in, have applied to, or are
considering to attend. All three spoke to the support offered from Mālama ʻĀina to enroll in
programs to enhance leadership skills. Programs ranged from fellowship programs outside the
organization, sabbatical leave to other agencies participating in similar work, or attending
continuing education courses at local universities. According to Leader H, Mālama ʻĀina offers
$500 to support employees with the cost of tuition when enrolling in non-credit or credit courses
at a local university.
All eight interviewed leaders mentioned the services of a contracted human resources
organization that offers various training workshops focusing on leadership skill development.
Two leaders spoke to a six-part training program that taught skills specific to being a supervisor
and leader. Leader E shared a goal to recommend all leaders complete the course within one
year of being hired so all leaders have a unified learning opportunity and shared language around
leaders as supervisors.
Broadening the scope of formal leadership trainings, Leader P shared his account
regarding staff development opportunities:
[W]e do regular trainings every quarter, we have staff training. Two are staff bonding
days where we do something fun . . . and then two are usually development days where
we talk about vision and strategy, or both. And then in-between that . . . opportunities to
do different management and leadership trainings as well, to develop skill sets.
Leader P stated that he sees the possibilities for staff development in every situation, including
community-based speakers to give perspective to the work, “I think it’s a critical investment for
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us that we have people who’ve gone ahead that can now speak life . . . to identify critical pitfalls
and potential benefits of doing things differently.” In an effort to be a learning organization,
Leader P sees outside speakers as a conduit to creative thinking about how to approach the work.
Formal learning experience and accepting opportunities to grow is a form of leadership
development that has the potential to yield great learning moments. Speaking to the nature of
most nonprofit organizations, Leader C stated, “there’s all sorts of opportunities. And also being
a nonprofit, you run a little bit of a tighter, leaner ship. So there’s always opportunities.” Leader
C shared his experience with the opportunity to find or create different learning opportunities by
talking about “committees, and this falls outside of everyone’s normal duties” that allow people
to volunteer for topics of interest. These opportunities allow followers to “step in to those
opportunities” recognizing that “there’s always something if you’re ambitious enough . . . to take
lead on.” The suggestion is to take opportunities to learn and grow, to experience new things or
to do things differently to learn a new skill.
Whether working with community volunteers, interns, or fellow leaders, Mālama ʻĀina
sees the advantage of allowing others to learn through experience and opportunities. On-the-job
learning has reportedly worked well for leaders at Mālama ʻĀina. Leader N shared that his
preparation for an administrative role was to get “thrown into the fire.” Although he states this
method was a little harsh, it also taught him to be resilient, flexible, and to problem-solve. His
reflective response to this approach was:
[I]t worked for me. I mean, partly why it works at [Mālama ʻĀina] . . . is that we’re
supportive of each other. If you do fail, we’re not like on each other about failing. So
it’s more focused on the learning from the situation rather than blaming. It’s more of a
“fail forward.”
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Although the experience of Leader N may not be the best approach for all learning, it does
capture an additional positive approach to leadership development, which is the supportive
nature around the notion of “failing forward.” This belief appreciates the idea that it is better to
experiment and fail then to never try and still fail. Leader H shared that he has been
strengthened by the opportunity to lead at the programmatic level as well as within the leadership
team. Failing forward allows followers to learn from mistakes and to reflect on how to achieve
the task in another way.
Mālama ʻĀina is an organization that respects continual learning as a tenet that facilitates
leadership development. Leaders see and appreciate opportunities offered from the organization
to broaden their perspective and learn new knowledge or different ways of doing things. Human
Resources offers formal programs and trainings to all staff, while continuing education and
fellowship programs allow staff the opportunity to explore interests that relate to conservation
work. In addition to attending trainings and visiting conservation corps, informal learning
through on-the-job learning also supports leadership capacity building.
Stretching Assignments Demonstrate Ability
The fourth theme that speaks to building leadership capacity pertains to the strategy of
stretch assignments via work opportunities. Enabling others to act is a transformational
leadership approach that focuses on helping followers reach their potential (Kouzes & Posner,
2012). At Mālama ʻĀina, leaders create opportunities for followers to have learning experiences,
create positive outcomes, and to better themselves. When identifying potential leaders one can
apply the strategy of stretching assignments to determine how a potential leader responds to
challenges. Stretching assignments are purposeful in its formation and works to identify
strengths and challenges potential leaders exhibit in an uncomfortable or unknown situation. For
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example, at CW1 a nervous intern was given the responsibility of briefing 60+ volunteers about
Mālama ʻĀina programs. Although he was confident with the content of his message his
stretching assignment was to speak in front of a crowd of people. His direct supervisor was
present at the workday and expressed her confidence in him by supporting his role in this
assignment.
Leaders of Mālama ʻĀina are intentional about offering stretching assignments for
potential leaders. One stretching assignment involved grant writing and reporting. Leader S
shared, “we’ve been trying to train the managers and the different coordinators . . . some people
are geared that way . . . to look at it analytically and logically. So we try to tap into them to try
and help us perfect this data collection.” As fundraising and grant reporting is a major tenet of
nonprofit work at Mālama ʻĀina, recognizing and training potential leaders who have a talent for
data collection directly supports leadership capacity building.
Stretching assignments allows leaders to identify potential leaders by assessing how they
respond to assignments. Leader C spoke to being stretched:
[My boss has] slowly been giving me more and more responsibilities. I think [my boss]
slowly preparing me for the position as opposed to “ok there’s a title change, here’s all
these new responsibilities and duties.” I think being able to be eased into the position,
it’s less shocking.
Leader S shared a similar approach to Leader C’s experience, “I make up ways to . . . not
test, but to stretch them without too much damage around them if it fails. So, limited leadership
and see how it goes.” Additionally, Leader N stated, “I think we test them without them
knowing that they’re being tested. Like we see opportunities and kind of give them something
and see how they respond.” To demonstrate stretching of youth leaders, while at CW1 youth
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volunteers were assigned the task of moving rocks to a new location. While stacking rocks in the
assigned location the rock pile that was being built collapsed. Youth who volunteered for the
task stood back and watched until the rocks lay still again. Rather than giving instruction,
Leader A stood back and allowed the youth volunteers to take control of the situation by
communicating to work out a solution to the collapsing rock pile. Youth volunteers were able to
formulate a new plan that ensured a sturdy foundation for the rock pile. Leader A could easily
have jumped in and given direction but instead she allowed youth the challenge of designing a
solution to the problem. Allowing youth to design a plan of action on their own stretched the
scope of the assigned task and gave them an opportunity to see the success of their labors.
Utilizing stretching assignments to build capacity, Leader P stated, “I think it’s important
for them to understand where they’re strong and where they need to develop. To know that they
have potential and that it’s our opportunity to help unlock that potential.” Leaders at Mālama
ʻĀina appear to be cognizant of the opportunity to recognize potential leaders and to raise them
to greater leadership responsibilities. Leader C shared his journey within Mālama ʻĀina by
describing his ascent from an intern to administration. He described the journey as a “learning
opportunity” and recounts, “the best thing that they did to prepare me is allow me to start at the
very bottom.” This leader shard a sense of appreciation for having been stretched in his work
assignments along the journey. Leader A shared a similar story, recounting the blessing she had
of learning many programs and being tested as she learned. She shared her fear of speaking in
front of large groups. She also shared of her responsibility to arrange large-scale community
gatherings to highlight conservation work within the organization. Oftentimes, she is made the
emcee at these events as she is the coordinator and best understands the vision for its success.
Leader A shared that each time she is asked to speak at community events her capacity to lead is
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stretched. After each event she feels good about her accomplishment but is still working on
being comfortable speaking in front of large crowds.
Mālama ʻĀina uses the strategy of stretch assignments to identify potential leaders and
see how these leaders respond to challenges. Stretch assignments also gives potential leaders a
sense of accomplishment when they succeeded in stretching opportunities. Although senior
leaders utilize stretch assignments as a test, potential leaders seem to understand the role of
stretch assignments as they recognize challenges and opportunities to face those challenges in a
safe and nurturing environment.
Discussion: Research Question 1
Results from the first research question answered strategies that the organization employs
to build leadership capacity. Based on the study’s findings Mālama ʻĀina demonstrated
transformational leadership strategies for building leadership capacity. Strategies were
illustrated through four ways: strategically hiring people to fulfill the mission, utilizing
mentorship as a capacity building strategy, recognizing continual learning as an expectation, and
using stretching assignments to demonstrate ability at Mālama ʻĀina. These strategies work to
build leadership capacity at Mālama ʻĀina by the amount of interns that have been promoted to
leadership positions within the organization.
Mālama ʻĀina is conscious about how they assess potential leaders and retain them for
leadership positions. They stand as change agents, wanting and striving to make impact in the
community. The interns are specifically chosen for leadership positions because of their ability
to live the values of the organization. A commonality of value-based work was witnessed among
leaders and interns, as it appeared that they were predisposed to lead by example. No one person
at Mālama ʻĀina reached for the spotlight. Each leader supported one another and
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communicated openly. Leaders and interns took initiative to talk to community and youth
volunteers to ensure a more unified process and outcome. When youth wanted to stop working
leaders did not scold or give a lecture on hard work. Instead, leaders kept working — they led
by example quietly and steadfastly. Their example allowed youth the time to rest, and provide
them an open invitation to return to work when they were ready. Hiring interns from within the
organization is proving to be a transformational leadership strategy at Mālama ʻĀina.
Leaders encourage others to reach their potential and offered mentoring opportunities and
experiences to build leadership capacity. Leaders share the strength senior management has been
in encouraging and guiding emerging leaders into management positions. This pattern allows for
mentorship in a new arena and also allows for leaders to demonstrate the strategy of mentoring.
In a small organization such as Mālama ʻĀina, this capacity building strategy is critical to
positive outcomes.
Mālama ʻĀina has learning opportunities to equip workers with continuing knowledge
and skills to support their work. Every leader at Mālama ʻĀina has the humility to express that
they are learners in this journey. This was evidenced by their great appreciation for opportunities
to travel out-of-state, attend continuing education courses, or by taking advantage of the Human
Resources leadership class. Workers at Mālama ʻĀina recognize that learning is constant and
encouraged.
The next section will report findings to the second research question pertaining to the
facilitators and inhibitors of building leadership capacity within Mālama ʻĀina.
Results: Research Question 2
The second research question asked, “What are the factors that both facilitate and inhibit
the development and implementation of strategies designed to build leadership capacity?” The
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factors that facilitate leadership capacity building relate to the nonprofit having a shared vision
and mission, building staff development funding into the budget, and recognizing that the
organization has a CEO succession plan. One inhibiting factor involves leaders having multiple
duties to fulfill and balancing priorities within a nonprofit organization.
Leaders Operate to a Shared Vision and Mission
Literature in Chapter 2 speaks to the importance of nonprofit organizations having strong
mission and vision to guide the organization. Kouzes and Posner (2012) shared that one of the
five fundamental elements in building leadership capacity is to have a shared vision that others
are enthusiastic to accomplish. As nonprofit organizations are charitable in nature, a strong
mission and vision are often factors that potential hires are attracted to and are the reason leaders
continue with the organization. To elucidate this point, Leader P talked about administration
being the “backbone” of the organization who “care for the mission.”
When asked the question pertaining to the mission and vision of the organization each
leader expressed their definition with a sense of excitement. Each shared a passion for the
opportunity to execute the mission and to envision a future with a contingency of leaders in
conservation. Leader E quickly responded, “so I worked in a dozen different organizations in
my life. I don’t think I could ever clearly state what their mission was. To this day, I don’t
know what they were. But here I know what it is.” According to Mālama ʻĀina leaders the
mission is “to empower young adults” and “to promote leadership and a connection with Akua
(God)” by “being pono (having integrity)” and to “see that change one student at a time” which
will be done by providing “opportunities for youth in our community to be engaged in
stewarding our natural resources” and “creating hands-on experiences” that result in “a more
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promising Hawaiʻi that has active participants that are all contributing in a way that’s leading our
society, our community, in a positive direction that’s healthy.”
As the organization seeks to build leaders in conservation leaders spoke to the importance
of connecting to the land. Leader O speaks to the healing component that can be gleaned by
connecting people back to the land, giving them a sense-of-place, and understanding of where
they come from. It is not expected that people be proficient in Hawaiian culture, values or
traditions, but that they can experience the culture in a way that helps to change their lives. The
mission of the organization promotes to empower youth to serve communities with character and
service, all within a conservation mindset that includes being pono (having integrity) with self,
others, and Akua (God).
Acknowledging the role of Akua in the work and striving to live a pono life was also
captured in the behavior and actions of leaders. Ke Akua is the Hawaiian words for God. People
will also frame akua as having a spiritual connection to one’s ancestors. Having a good
relationship with Akua is an important element of the mission statement for Mālama ʻĀina.
Mana can also be described as having spiritual power that can lend leaders to contribute to the
work in a skillful way. Pukui, Haertig, and Lee (1972) described the personal possession of
mana as, “the mana of skill carried with it an obligation: to work at the god-given ability;
improve the talent. For non-use or neglect, as surely as wrong use of mana, would result in lost
mana” (p. 296). Recognizing the spiritual nature of the work, leaders within Mālama ʻĀina share
how Akua, mana and pono is manifested within the work they do. Leader H contributed his
thoughts about the role of spirituality in the work:
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[I]n Hawaii, we have this overlying spirituality that is totally accepted. And so every
morning we start our day with [Hawaiian] protocol and close with [Hawaiian] protocol
. . . . A lot of the experiences goes along with learning and it’s a spiritual endeavor.
He also spoke about reverence for his ancestors in his leadership role:
I have so much ideas coming to me. So much inspiration, which I think is a gift . . . And
I’ll be thinking like oh, that’s my grandpa, that’s somebody else with me. So, all these
different ideas are coming to me, which allows me to be a good leader because I can see
it.
Leader P talked to how he was influenced to take on a leadership position, “my spiritual
side is important so I take a lot of time from mentors and also time to prayer . . . before I make
any decision.” He related how important Akua is in the framing of his work with potential
leaders by providing the “opportunity to learn and grow, and that they have that part of lōkahi
(balance) and that they have to be pono with God, self, others, environment.” Ke Akua is a key
element of the organization’s mission statement and also serves as an active feature in the daily
life of staff’s personal and professional attitude and work. Coupled with Akua is the value of
pono, living justly or with integrity.
There is a Hawaiian proverb that best describes the value of pono: He `ike `ana ia I ka
pono. To literally translate its meaning: It is a recognizing of the right thing. To offer a daily
application of this proverb it states: One has seen the right thing to do and has done it (Pukui,
1983). Pono is captured as one of the guiding attributes that if followed will guide the
organization to success. Leaders of Mālama ʻĀina demonstrate living pono by their actions and
words and express the important mission of being pono in their work.
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Qualities of good character and a willingness to serve with integrity (pono) were
highlighted by observations while at CW1 that read, “It is observed that leaders are humble in
the work. They do not talk themselves up and they do not push people around. They are very
supportive of one another and want to build relationships with others.”
Many jobs were in motion at CW1 and much work was yet to be done, but Leader P took
a few minutes of his time to walk to the end of the project boundary to say hello and praise the
group working diligently in the shed. Once he had the opportunity to extend a hello he went
back to his last post to continue the work. While at the same community workday Leader A saw
three youth volunteers working together to move a large log. She said, “Good teamwork, guys!”
As she supervised the situation she saw that they were struggling to maneuver the log so she
jumped in to assist the team. Her attentiveness to the situation and desire to support the team
prompted her to assist without hesitation.
Perhaps one of the best times to challenge integrity in action is when people are tired. An
observation from CW1:
As the workday neared to an end, the sun was overhead and the temperature was hot; the
tendency could have been to work faster to finish the job quickly. However, leaders led
by example by doing the tasks intentionally (slow vs. fast) to keep the effort strong and to
do it safely.
The message shared by their example was that it is not how fast a job is completed, but
how well and with safety as a priority. The team of leaders led the effort by choosing to set a
good example over rushing to finish a job.
Skills are good, but integrity is important. Leader P spoke to the organizations
succession plan approach in terms of character:
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I think about character leadership first. That we are developing the kind of people that
represent the organization well, represent Hawaiʻi well, that are pono. And one of our
things that we ask is pono, and are we being pono? And if not, what do we do to correct
that?
Leader E spoke to the same leadership quality, “I think integrity is important. Looking at the
leaders here, I think humility is vital . . . but integrity, just knowing that you’re doing the right
thing and you’re the right character is important.” Mālama ʻĀina has a strong mission to support
youth in conservation activities and the character strength of being pono serves to deliver that
outcome. Leader P stated, “Skills you can teach people, but character is harder to do . . . either a
person decides that they’re going to invest their efforts into developing themselves . . . or they’re
not. I can’t make someone do that.” Living a pono life is an intrinsic activity and is a facilitating
factor that supports the leadership capacity building.
Mālama ʻĀina leaders sustain the vision of the organization by recognizing the goal of
leadership development among interns. As defined by Mālama ʻĀina Leaders C and O
respectively, the vision includes, “to engage the next generation of environmental leaders. And
then in a broader sense, maybe not even just purely environmental leaders. I think . . . leaders in
general” and to “give them a platform where they can thrive.” In order to engage the next
generation of leaders it is important to be willing to work with them and get to know them.
Leaders of Mālama ʻĀina were observed at CW2 smiling and engaging in conversation
with interns and community volunteers. They were living examples of the mission of the
organization. There was a real sense of teamwork. Leaders showed willingness to serve and
support one another. At a programmatic level, interns were seen happily and diligently cleaning
up from their morning woodworking activity. Leader H explained the woodworking activity
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called papa kuʻi ʻai and shared the cultural and youth development components of the activity.
He also pointed out that the underlying vehicle that drives the mission and vision is conservation,
mālama ʻāina.
Illustrating the mission on a more personal level, Leader H shared stories of interns who
have been a part of the program and who were homeless, have dropped out of high school or
came from a home that couldn’t provide food. He shared that engaging these interns in cultural
activities and modeling healthy behaviors have made a difference in their lives. Leader N spoke
to learning of the Hawaiian oli (chant), “in terms of [Hawaiian] activities, we focus on providing
our youth . . . we teach our youth to oli, and to oli before they go to a place, and then to learn
proper oli and protocol before going into new cultural sites.” Interns learn to oli as standard
protocol to prepare them to respect the land they are to enter upon and work. This respect and
connection to the land is a keystone of how Mālama ʻĀina lives out the mission. Leaders
recognize their role in paving the way for followers. Leader S shared this simply by saying,
“administration also means . . . just being pono in everything we do.” Taking responsibility for
actions and living a life of integrity leads the mission and vision of Mālama ʻĀina.
Staff Development is Built into the Budget
Building a line item in the budget shows an intentional drive to make staff development a
pivotal part of the work. It also shows the degree of respect Mālama ʻĀina has toward
strengthening the professional standards of the organization. When applying for grant money,
Leader E will include a budget for formal learning opportunities, “I always have a line item that
includes trainings and education for program managers and myself. We have to build that into
our budgets.” She shared that she encourages followers to take advantage of formal learning
opportunities via trainings and further education.
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Demonstrating the significance of budgeting training opportunities Leader H spoke to the
significant opportunity of attending trainings out-of-state, “they took us on a trip to expose us to
different corps to look at different ways that they’re doing things.” He shared his astonishment
that the organization would invest so much in staff development, “there was at one time 10 staff
in California or traveling in Texas and we were like, ‘that’s huge,’ you know? Just for that
development time. Development and bonding of course.” Leader C spoke to the researching of
best practices through out-of-state trips, “it’s a proven model in California and we’re actually
taking a trip in October to go and kind of tour some of the corps over there.” It was evident
when talking to these leaders that they gleaned new knowledge from out-of-state trips. Leaders
shared they recognized the relationship Hawaiʻi conservation leaders have to the land that other
corps did not express. Comparing the work of mainland corps to the work of Mālama ʻĀina
helped them to better understand their role as leaders and support the conservation work of
Mālama ʻĀina in Hawaiʻi. This new insight came because of the opportunity afforded by the
organization investing in corps visits out-of-state.
Written Plan for CEO Succession
Mālama ʻĀina having a written succession plan for the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
places them a step ahead of most nonprofit organizations in the leadership succession process.
Literature in Chapter 2 highlights the gap in succession planning for senior leaders in nonprofit
organizations. Although Mālama ʻĀina does not have a succession plan for all leadership
positions, the organization does have a clearly defined succession plan if the CEO has a short or
long-term leave of absence, and protocol to follow when the CEO decides to retire (see
Appendix D). Having a CEO succession plan acknowledges the importance the organization
places on continuing the mission and vision in any circumstance.
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The CEO succession plan contains detailed instructions in the event the CEO has a
planned or unplanned leave from the organization. The Board of Directors are responsible to
respond to either scenario by commissioning the plan to action. A member of the current
leadership team is designated to step in as Acting CEO until the CEO returns, or while the hiring
process commences to fill the CEO position.
Within the CEO succession plan, the Board of Directors placed strong emphasis on
leadership development, not only at the senior level but for all levels of leadership. The attention
to leadership development parallels statements made by members of leadership speaking to the
goal of the organization to raise leaders. The CEO succession plan stated:
[Mālama ʻĀina] is committed to developing leadership at all levels within the
management structure as a fundamental element of succession planning. The CEO and
Management Team recognize it is their duty to prepare the staff they supervise and
mentor for higher levels of leadership and management within the organization as part of
its culture and core values.
As Mālama ʻĀina is a charitable nonprofit organization, it looks to have a positive long-
term impact in the work of conservation. With organization longevity in mind, Leader P shared
an ʻōlelo noʻeau (Hawaiian proverb) that captures the essence of what the CEO succession plan
hopes to attain. The Hawaiian proverb is “‘aʻaliʻi kū makani, and that is the ‘aʻaliʻi stands
upright in the wind, or stands in the wind because it has deep roots.” Leader P compares two
trees: the albizia tree and the ‘aʻaliʻi (Native Hawaiian tree). He shares that the albizia tree is a
top heavy tree that grows quickly and is large enough to be seen from miles away, but when the
“heavy winds come it topples easily.” He illustrates what kind of organization the albizia tree
would represent and described, “so we can create an organization like that, that’s successful and
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very showy and has all this talent. But does it have the deep roots? . . . which I think is cultural
character.” Leader P then considers the qualities of the ‘aʻaliʻi tree and shares the strength of the
organization if leadership succession is strategically implemented:
[The] ‘aʻaliʻi, it has deep tap root and it doesn’t grow above surface as quickly as an
albizia but it grows downward and I hope that we can be more like that. That we can be
the kind of people that invests into people, invests into relationships, invests into
character so that when the winds in life come, the challenges come, or the opportunities
for growth come, or droughts come, we can have deep roots that can grow in any season,
in every season.
Leader P captured the long-term vision of the organization. An organization that acknowledges
the important role the CEO performs at [Mālama ʻĀina]. As written in the CEO succession plan,
the CEO job description outlines Character as a leading qualification for employment and reads:
applicant must have a strong ability and show evidence of living out the core values of
[Mālama ʻĀina]. They should possess the innate ability to lead others and unlock
potential of those around them. They should be well respected in the community and be
a bridge builder. They should be solution oriented and understand the intricacies and
possess a cultural understanding of how to conduct business in Hawaiʻi in a respectful
way.
There is a strong recognition within the organization that senior leadership is valued and
directly impacts how the mission is executed. Leader P shared that none of the leadership team
would be easy to replace. Leader N echoed this sentiment by sharing his thoughts if the CEO
succession plan were to be enacted:
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culture comes from the top down . . . it’s understood at the top, it’s lived out at the top
and people respond to how they see it being lived. If there was a new CEO that would
come in I could see that changing, and changing how this organization runs. That’s
something that would be a challenge in our succession planning, is finding someone who
can live out what we expect, live out the culture that has made us successful.
While Mālama ʻĀina is equipped with a CEO succession plan, the plan is known only to
senior leadership and the Board of Directors. Leader P stated they should have a “staff related
discussion” about the CEO succession plan with staff. The succession plan is relatively new and
was a product of a national accreditation process that served as the catalyst for a CEO succession
plan to formulate. Leader S explained, “they [accreditation team] went through every program
and they talked about our succession plan, and they realized we didn’t have anything written for
anybody. Everything grew, so nothing was in place.” Soon after, in March 2015, Mālama ʻĀina
crafted a CEO succession plan for a planned and unplanned CEO departure scenario.
The current CEO of Mālama ʻĀina reported to have many years of service before
retirement. Having a CEO succession plan brings a sense of direction to senior leadership in the
event of an unplanned CEO leave were to occur and the succession plan needed to be activated.
Leader N shared that senior leadership “spent the time to actually look at what would happen if
our CEO won the lottery” as the goal is to “build this organization to last the test of time so that
[Mālama ʻĀina], 150 years from now is still an organization that people know and is doing good
things.” That Mālama ʻĀina has a CEO succession plan to support the long-term vision and is
considering the implications of having a different CEO speaks to the dedication leaders have to
the mission of the organization. It reaffirms the organization’s goal to grow leaders in
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conservation. The next section discusses the one factor that may inhibit the development and
implementation of strategies designed to build leadership capacity.
Balance Priorities Within the Nonprofit Organization
Knowing the nonprofit data surrounding the need for sufficient resources to implement
programs, Mālama ʻĀina has made a concerted effort to apply for grant money to sustain its
mission and vision. However, time spent on grant management could be steered toward building
the next generation of leaders rather than time sitting in the data reporting to grants. The data
showed that fundraising is vital to the organization and that leaders see the value in the task but
also consider the time element of this job duty.
Leader C said this about her job duties, “I’m trying to figure out how to find that
balance.” This approach to fundraising and grant management was shared among all leaders
who directly work to increase funding. In trying to find “that balance” they identified the time
inhibitor of grant management, but they also recognize the need to acquire the financial
resources to support Mālama ʻĀina programs. Leader S shared that in an ideal situation Mālama
ʻĀina would have a department or team whose job description was to apply and report to grants.
The creation of this new department would allow the current leadership team to work more
closely with potential leaders, guiding them in building leadership capacity.
Without a designated grant writing and reporting team, most managers and directors are
required to apply for grant money to run their programs. Per a job application for Mālama ʻĀina,
fundraising skills was listed as a main prerequisite for the job. Leader S explained the
responsibility of grant management:
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[W]e seek out grants and we seek out partnerships to create new grants. I write grants,
and then we receive them, then the grant management part is making sure that the right
tools are in place to collect the right data to have the right reports.
In a shrinking nonprofit funding market the emphasis on fundraising is warranted
(Mataira et al., 2014). However, it brings to light that senior leaders at Mālama ʻĀina spend
most of their time on this task. Leader C described her job duty as it pertains to grant
management, “a large part of my role is grant management and grant implementation.” She
shared that it is her responsibility “to make sure everything gets done that needs to get done: to
manage all of these grants, to manage all of these contracts, to manage this budget, and do it
efficiently so it all gets taken care of.” The effort to secure funding supersedes time spent on
leadership building activities. Making sure funding is always accounted for, Leader E said:
[A]s an administrator I feel that I have a huge responsibility to ensure that we have the
funding in place to continue to run the programs. It’s a great concern because finding
money is always tough, no matter what time of the year it is.
Leader P spoke to an idea to summon the Board of Directors to become more involved
with the fundraising aspect of Mālama ʻĀina. Leader P shared, “I still think that our contracts
and that our grants and that our foundation partnerships are going to be the majority of our
funding. I think an area of growth could be in fundraising.” This leader recognized the time
commitment fundraising and reporting to grants takes and thinks asking for additional support
will alleviate time to focus more on the programmatic and leadership elements of the job.
Discussion: Research Question 2
Results of the second research question demonstrate there are several factors that
facilitate the implementation of strategies employed by Mālama ʻĀina. The first factor is that
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leaders currently employed with Mālama ʻĀina have their hearts sealed to the mission and vision
of the organization. According to Kouzes and Posner (2012), having a clearly defined vision
allows leaders to choose to accept responsibility of its attainment. Leaders at Mālama ʻĀina are
enthusiastic about the work they are engaged in and feel the mission-related values strengthen
their approach to seeking out potential leaders and building leadership capacity. As a nonprofit
organization, having a strong attachment to the vision usually denotes dedicated staff willing to
commit to the work because they believe in the vision. Nonprofit organizations need dedicated
staff, especially if the organization is grant-based with funding fluctuating on a yearly basis.
When funding is not secure, turn-over rate can be greater within nonprofit organizations. The
second factor is a built in budget for staff development as a programmatic line item. This
ensures the fiscal opportunity for leaders to experience ongoing learning via formal trainings. In
an effort to distinguish best practices and learn trade skills of conservation, having funding set
aside for staff development demonstrates a commitment to high standards within the field. In an
exhaustive funding endeavor, having this privilege is a significant contribution to support the
development of leaders. The third is that the organization has a written succession plan for the
CEO perchance a planned or unplanned leave of absence occurs. Literature around nonprofit
succession planning denotes most nonprofits do not have a succession plan in place (Bozer &
Kuna, 2013). That Mālama ʻĀina has a CEO succession protocol that includes an emergency
succession plan and a planned succession plan places them ahead of most nonprofit
organizations when it comes to succession planning.
To touch upon the inhibitor of leadership capacity building strategies, Mālama ʻĀina has
just one. Grant management is a large portion of senior leadership responsibility that leaves
administrators with less time to coach and mentor potential leaders. Studies find that funding
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85
continues to be an inhibitor to nonprofit functioning (Mataira et al., 2014). The current situation
with Mālama ʻĀina has the organization fixed with enough funding to implement programs;
however, the time it takes for leaders to apply for and report to grants may hinder leadership
capacity building opportunities. This is a concern, as leaders within the organization are best
prepared to mentor and grow leaders because of their experience and knowledge base. However,
if a significant amount of their time is dedicated to funding concerns, it lessens time directly
impacting potential leaders.
Summary
This chapter discussed the findings by research question and outlined strategies that
support leadership capacity building within a Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization. This study
site looks to build the next generation of leaders by identifying potential leaders from their
current Intern pool, mentoring potential leaders, focusing on continual learning as an
organization expectation, and using stretching assignments to increase leadership development.
The findings also discussed the factors that both facilitate and a factor that inhibits leadership
capacity building within the nonprofit organization. The strategies that facilitate the
development and implementation of building leadership capacity consist of having a shared
vision and mission, creating a budget for staff development opportunities, and the organization
having created a CEO succession plan. Something that inhibits the development and
implementation of leadership capacity building is senior leaders having to balance many
priorities within the organization.
Chapter 5 will discuss the implications of these results and offer recommendations on
how to provide further insight on leadership capacity building within Hawaiian-based nonprofit
organizations.
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CHAPTER 5
DISCUSSION
Summary
Nonprofit organizations are the fastest growing business sector in the United States
(Roeger et al., 2012). Government entities are utilizing the formation of nonprofit organizations
to deliver services to communities in need throughout the country (Pettijohn, 2013). Nonprofit
organizations are created by founders striving to make great impact to needy communities.
However, most nonprofit organizations fail to create a CEO succession plan to succeed
leadership in the event of a planned or unplanned leave from the organization. When this
happens, there is the chance provision of direct services to beneficiaries may be interrupted. The
inability of nonprofit organizations to develop a succession plan may impact nonprofit support to
community programs.
Nonprofit organizations are benevolent-based with the expectation to serve communities
in need. Having a leadership pipeline within nonprofit organizations is fundamental to this
success. Research shows that nonprofit organizations typically do not organize succession plans
or formal leadership pipeline programs to purposefully promote from within (Bozer & Kuna,
2013). In a time of competitive fundraising, leaders often spend a great deal of time applying to
grants to support the continuation of community programs (Bassi, 2013). Research is lacking in
the field of nonprofit succession planning, but there is a continual need for nonprofit services in
communities. The purpose of this study was to identify strategies for nonprofit succession
planning, and to identify challenges that inhibit this movement.
This chapter will report on the major elements of this study, including a brief description
of the purpose of the study, the research questions, methodology utilized, and followed by a
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summary of the key findings of the study. Lastly, this chapter will explore implications for
nonprofit practice, and recommendations for future study in respect to Hawaiian-based nonprofit
organizations.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to explore a Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization to
identify promising practices to leadership succession planning. The study identified strategies
that support the promotion of leadership development within one nonprofit organization.
Literature surrounding the succession planning of nonprofit organizations identifies gaps in this
area (Carman et al., 2010). The opportunity for senior and mid-level leadership to mentor and
encourage skill-building to emerging leaders is lost when a succession plan is not in place to
facilitate this transfer of knowledge. For this reason, the study aimed to identify strategies that
support leadership capacity building within a Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization. The study
also explored factors that either facilitated or inhibited the development and implementation of
such strategies to build leadership capacity. To analyze this topic, the study focused on two
research questions.
Research Questions
The study sought to understand leadership capacity building within a Hawaiian-based
nonprofit organization in Hawaiʻi. Two research questions were developed to organize the
qualitative data collection of the study:
1. In what ways does a Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization work to build the next
generation of leaders?
2. What are the factors that both facilitate and inhibit the development and
implementation of strategies designed to build leadership capacity?
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Data were gathered through interviewing selected leaders, observations of community
workdays, and the collection of agency-specific documents. A total of eight leaders participated
in the course of the study.
Summary of the Findings
Findings specifically looked at ways in which a Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization
applied leadership capacity building. Findings focused on promising practices that support the
development of potential leaders and recognize elements that strengthen the organization’s
capacity to make succession planning a viable outcome for the organization. The theoretical
framework presented the leadership style of transformational leadership from the lens of Kouzes
and Posner’s (2012) fundamental leadership practices of: model the way, inspire a shared vision,
and enable others to act. Data collected were analyzed to inform the findings of the study.
Leaders within the organization spoke readily to the strategy of hiring leaders that
exemplify the mission of the Mālama ʻĀina. Nonprofit organizations are created to meet a
greater community need. Most nonprofit workers choose this sector to make a positive impact in
the lives of others and are often passionate about the work (Carman et al., 2010). Leaders at
Mālama ʻĀina recognized the potential in emerging leaders and continually assessed them for
consideration for full-time employment. Of the eight participants interviewed, four served as
former interns to the organization. Internships with young adults have proven to be a progressive
succession platform within the organization making it a promising leadership pipeline strategy.
Utilizing mentors as a strategic approach to increase leadership development was
consistent among all participants. All leaders recognized the positive impact mentors had in
their leadership development. The importance of forming healthy relationships with colleagues
was key to this strategy. Birasnav et al. (2011) shared that mentorship is a positive conduit to
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new learning. The strategy of mentorship allowed leaders to follow the modelling of senior
management to learn different strategies and approaches to improve their work. This strategy
can be greater emphasized in the supervisor to supervisee role as leaders work alongside
followers in teaching and modeling the say for emerging leaders.
Mālama ʻĀina offers employees a diverse array of learning opportunities. The
organization places high value on learning as an expectation. Leaders at Mālama ʻĀina
identified formal learning opportunities through the Human Resources department. They also
offer resources for other learning opportunities: funding for continued education at a local
university, support toward fellowship and sabbatical programs, and attendance to trainings and
workshops in Hawaiʻi and on the continental United States. That each participant spoke to at
least one of these programs demonstrates the level of commitment the organization has to
continual learning. Just as important to formal leadership programs, the organization also
consciously offers informal learning opportunities to strengthen colleague bonds and to offer on-
the-job learning experiences to shape their leadership growth. Learning experience is important
as it offered an opportunity to apply new knowledge in a real-life setting (Austin et al., 2011).
Providing guidance is a tenet of Kouzes and Posner’s (2012) leadership principle,
enabling others to act. Workers accepted opportunities to be stretched for growth experience.
Emerging leaders were witnessed responding positively to this strategy of leadership building.
With preparation of the task and guided council, emerging leaders proved successful and were
able to show senior management the growth in their learning.
All participants in this study were excited to speak about helping young adults to be
leaders in conservation work. Each participant recited the mission of the organization and
commented on the goal to raise leaders in green field of conservation. Kouzes and Posner (2012)
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highlighted the leadership principle to inspire a shared vision among workers. Leaders at
Mālama ʻĀina have embraced this leadership design and work to fulfill the mission and vision
with enthusiasm. Leaders make it a priority to refer to the mission at staff meetings and are overt
in discussion what that means to them. In meetings, leaders are often highlighted when they
were seen living the mission of the organization. This practice promotes greater engagement and
increases positive behavior with staff. Understanding, living, and focusing on the mission and
vision is a powerful factor that facilitates leadership capacity building at Mālama ʻĀina.
The fiscal infrastructure at a Mālama ʻĀina supports the promising practice of making
continual learning a forerunner of leadership development. Mataira et al. (2014) spoke to the
struggle many nonprofit organizations have securing funds to run community programs.
Regardless of this struggle, Mālama ʻĀina makes a point to reserve money to support trainings,
travelling to visit corps, and other learning opportunities. This practice is appreciated by all
participants who shared excitement about each learning opportunity.
Comini et al. (2013) shared in their study that succession plans are often overlooked
within nonprofit organizations. However, Mālama ʻĀina stands apart from many other nonprofit
organizations because it has a written CEO succession plan. The succession plan is clearly
written and details each step of a planned or unplanned departure of the CEO. Although the
organization has a written CEO succession plan, only senior management and the Board of
Directors know of the plan. However, senior leaders mentioned in the interviews that informing
mid-level leadership of the CEO succession needed to take place.
Time spent on fundraising and reporting to grants is one inhibiting factor. Leaders shared
the necessity of this task and felt a great responsibility on their shoulders to fundraise so
community programs move forward. In the midst of this task, there is a significant amount of
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time spent away from mentoring and training emerging leaders to higher positions. Bassi (2013)
spoke to the competitive fundraising market of nonprofit organizations. Mālama ʻĀina
recognized this stress and have strategically positioned themselves to receive enough funding to
run all their community programs. However, with the award of the grant comes the follow-
through to collect the appropriate data to report to funders at the end of the grant cycle. Again,
this inhibitor can be looked at closer to mediate a path that allows more time for leadership
capacity building among staff.
Implications for Practice
The findings of the study generated implications for practice for nonprofit organization
policy makers and the studied site. The practices identified pertain to instituting a mandated
succession plan, creating a system for policies and procedures, and implementing a succession
plan for mid-level leaders. Described in further detail below are recommendations to strengthen
the broad perspective on nonprofit succession planning and implications for succession planning
within the studied nonprofit organization.
Policy Makers
The exploration of nonprofit succession is important to policy makers to support the
sustainability of impact nonprofit services impart to the community. State regulated policy
requirements pertaining to nonprofit succession planning standards should include a clear
succession plan. Policy makers in the U.S. have an opportunity to pass legislation to support
succession planning in nonprofit organizations. Research shows that attention to succession
planning can increase this standard within nonprofit organizations. For example, an Italian study
by Bassi (2013), reported 69% of nonprofit organizations in Italy have a written succession plan.
The Italian government requires a succession plan written in the by-laws of the nonprofit
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organization structure. In comparison, a report from Israel stated a 7% succession plan rate
(Bozer & Kuna, 2013). The government of Israel has no policy requirement for nonprofit
succession planning. Similarly, a U.S. study reported the state of North Carolina having a 23%
succession plan rate among nonprofit organizations (Carman et al., 2010). These statistics
illustrate how worthwhile it is for policy makers to consider the implications of requiring
nonprofit organizations to include a written succession plan in the by-laws of the organization.
An additional element to support a succession plan policy shows that nonprofit
organizations with CEO succession plans are less likely to experience Founder’s Syndrome
(Wright, 2012). The same study shared that a succession plan that includes protocol for a
planned and unplanned departure is most beneficial for the continuation of nonprofit service. As
explained by Pettijohn (2013) nonprofit services are heavily relied upon by government to
service community needs. A plan can also facilitate a healthier exit transition for leaders who
may feel a sense of loss upon transferring power to a succeeding nonprofit leader (Wright, 2012).
Exiting founding leaders of nonprofit organizations can feel a sense of identity loss when
relinquishing control of an organization they created and piloted for many years. If continuation
of nonprofit services is critical to society then an emphasis for policy makers to consider the
implication of this action is warranted.
Implications for Mālama ʻĀina
It is recommended that a policy and procedure guidebook to support organizational
succession be implemented within this nonprofit organization. Leaders within Mālama ʻĀina
spoke to the immediate need to document policies and procedures pertaining to job descriptions
and organization functioning. Having written policies and procedures prepares the succeeding
leader to step into a leadership role with clear direction. This process would include current
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leaders documenting daily work functions, underscoring important tasks, skills and values
needed to be efficacious. Additionally, current leadership should explore the best approach to
include the perspective of stakeholders who will utilize the guidebook. Engaging the voices of
stakeholders broadens the audience that will implement the guidebook. Stakeholders should
consider a plan that will continually upkeep the policy and procedure guidebook. If Mālama
ʻĀina is serious about the perpetuation of services, it is necessary to document the policies and
procedures that impact the daily functioning of the organization.
The recommendation to develop and implement a mid-level succession plan has
implications for strengthening young leaders into senior leadership roles. The mission of the
organization is to grow leaders in conservation. Toward this goal, it is necessary for this
organization to develop a plan that outlines skills, knowledge and character aspects for emerging
leaders. In addition, a mid-level succession plan would also include a clear understanding of
possible upward movement within the organization. Readiness for promotion would be
measured according to the value and skills honed as outlined in the mid-level succession plan. If
Mālama ʻĀina wants to continue to grow leaders, creating a mid-level succession plan would be
advantageous.
Developing a succession plan and communicating the implementation of that plan is vital
to a successful leadership building endeavor. A few recommendations this nonprofit may
consider when developing a mid-level succession plan are: to consider the utility of group
supervision for co-learning, forming peer-led workgroups to strengthen work skills, or
developing a uniformed orientation training that enables staff to be ambassadors to promote the
organization. This list is not exhaustive, but rather begins a discussion to support the formation
of a mid-level succession plan. Being informed on opportunities for leadership development
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94
should be communicated to all levels of staff. Communication of opportunities can be through
an internal organization newsletter, intranet, at staff meetings or individual supervisory meetings,
or via company email. A mid-level succession plan is successful when all leaders understand the
opportunities afforded to them to hone skills toward leadership promotion.
Recommendations for Future Studies
This study looked at the promising practices of leadership capacity building, including
factors that facilitated the implementation of those factors in a Hawaiian-based nonprofit
organization. Although every effort was made to gain comprehensive responses to the research
questions, additional questions emerged. As such, the following section outlines
recommendations for future study.
The Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization selected in this study was a small nonprofit
organization and did not address the experiences of leaders operating at a larger nonprofit
institution. As such, this study provides a sense of how a small Hawaiian-based nonprofit
organization promotes promising leadership practices. However, it does not account for how the
strategies may differ in a larger, non Hawaiian-based organization. It may be worthwhile to
examine if the promising practices presented in this current study hold true in other contexts.
Additionally, the findings of this study included a high rate of interns being hired within
the organization to leadership positions. A longitudinal study within Mālama ʻĀina to track
leadership movement within and outside the agency may be instructive to follow their career
path and impact the interns make in the continuation of conservation. A longitudinal study could
strengthen future studies of how interns develop into leadership roles, solidifying the promising
practices and factors employed by Mālama ʻĀina that facilitate true leadership growth and
employment progression.
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Further, a future study may aim to focus on the role gender plays in the transformational
leadership process within nonprofit organizations. This study shared a leadership perspective
within a Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization that is founded by a male CEO. When
examining literature preparatory to this study, journal articles did not speak to the role gender
plays in leadership development within a nonprofit organization. A future study may question
the similarities and differences of transformational leadership practices and factors that facilitate
those practices from a gender perspective. Additional questions may explore how gender relates
to organizational structure as it pertains to tiers of leadership and opportunities for advancement.
Conclusions
Promising practices of leadership capacity building in a Hawaiian-based nonprofit
organization was the purpose of this study. The findings from interviews, observations and
organization documents conclude that this organization employs practices to successfully
develop potential leaders. It is anticipated that these findings will prove beneficial for nonprofit
organizations, policymakers, and researchers. The findings will serve to prompt leaders to
evaluate their practices and help implement policies within nonprofit organizations to support
succession management programs. This study reveals that the pursuit of succession management
practices are achievable and will further strengthen nonprofit organizations to succeed in raising
leaders in conservation.

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APPENDIX A
PARTICIPATION LETTER
You have been selected to participate in this study because of your position in an organization
with promising leadership practices. I am a Doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership at the
University of Southern California completing my dissertation. The purpose of the study is to
examine your organization’s leadership capacity building, which will contribute to understanding
best practices, and to assist other organizations looking to strengthen their leadership
development.

This study will address the following research questions:

1. In what ways does the organization work to build the next generation of leaders?
2. What are the perceptions of stakeholders regarding the influence of those practices?
3. What are the factors that both facilitate and inhibit the development and implementation
of strategies designed to build leadership capacity?

Your participation is voluntary and at any time you may stop or withdraw from the study without
any consequences. Any identifiable information about you will be kept confidential and
destroyed after the study is completed.

Your participation in this study will consist of the following during an 8 week period:

1) 30-45 minute interview
2) Group observations in meetings, trainings and field visits

Thank you for your consideration to participate in this study. Your input and contribution are
vital to the success of this study about promising leadership practices.

Leialoha Benson
Doctoral Candidate- Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California

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102
APPENDIX B
INTERVIEW PROTOCOL
Organization’s Name _______________________________________
Participant’s Name _______________________________________
Title of Participant _______________________________________
Location _______________________________________
Interviewer _______________________________________
Time Start_______ End_______ Total_____________

Administration:

I’d like to ask you some questions about your experience as a leader.

1. Tell me about your role in the organization.
2. What is your organization’s mission and vision?
3. Tell me about your experience as an administrator.
4. What or who influenced you the most to apply for a leadership role in this organization?
5. Tell me about how your organization prepared you for your administrative role.

Now, I’d like to ask you some questions about leadership succession planning.

6. What is your organization’s philosophy/belief about leadership capacity building?
7. What does a succession plan look like in your organization?
Probe: How is the succession plan implemented?
8. Are there any challenges to implementing your succession plan and what are they?
9. What kind of formal and informal leadership opportunities are available at your
organization?
10. How does your organization identify the next generation of leaders?
11. When you are thinking about tapping a leader what characteristics/qualities are you
looking for?
12. When you notice an individual who has those qualities, what do you do?
13. How do you support an individual who is not ready for a leadership position but is
interested?
14. Are there any individuals that have stepped into a leadership role in the last two years? If
so, how many?
15. Given the succession pipeline right now, what are some changes you might implement?
16. What do you envision those changes to look like?

As we finish up this interview, I want to ensure that I understand your experiences with
leadership succession. I would like to provide you an opportunity to share anything you feel is
important about building leadership capacity internally that I have not asked.

LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT

103
APPENDIX C
OBSERVATION PROTOCOL
Organization Name _______________________________________
Type of Observation _______________________________________
Location _______________________________________
Participants _______________________________________
Time Start_______ End_______ Total_____________

Observation Field Notes:

1. Describe the physical setting. Include the arrangement of the furniture and represent all
participants in the picture. Please describe the physical setting and description of
participants. Total number of participants:_________

What are you looking for? Researcher Notes
• What does the environment look
like?
• Physical set up?
• How are the people grouped?
• Who is leading?
• What is the agenda?
• Time intervals on each topic?
• Diversity/gender/age/ethnicities
• Attire of participants?

2. Focus on the interaction between the leader and others. Write a narrative of the observed
interactions/behaviors and record verbatim of the conversations. Be sure to time stamp all
events, approximately every 10 minutes.

Time What are you looking for? Researcher Notes
• Context of interaction? (Hallway conversation,
informal/formal, etc.)
• Noteworthy interactions
• Engagement of Participants- How actually
engage are participants?
• Tone of the meeting (energy)
• Verbal/non-verbal communication

LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT

104
Post Observation Field Notes Reflection
Think about what happened during the observation that was not documented. Did the leader say
or do anything that is of particular interest to the study of leadership succession? Are there any
opinions you would like to share regarding building leadership capacity? What feelings do you
have about the leader’s interaction with the others in the meeting and how the interaction did/did
not support leadership succession? Do you have any interesting/new thoughts as a result of the
observation?

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT

105
APPENDIX D
CEO SUCCESSION PLAN
Part I: Planned Resignation
The Board of Directors of [Mālama ʻĀina] recognizes that a succession plan for the Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) position is an important aspect of contingency planning to ensure the
ongoing success of [Mālama ʻĀina]. This document outlines the process for appointing a new
CEO during a planned resignation. The Board of [Mālama ʻĀina] creates this plan having
reviewed the job description of the CEO and understanding the CEO’s role in organizational
leadership, program development, program administration, operations, financial operations,
resource development and community presence. The Board also recognizes the need to identify
a candidate who is able to ensure the culture and values of [Mālama ʻĀina] continue to thrive.

Develop Search Committee

The exiting CEO should inform the Board of Directors as far in advance as possible prior to their
intended departure date. Upon notification, the Board will develop a Search Committee,
comprised of at least:

• The Board President, or their designee
• Three Board Members
• The Board may also consider including the exiting CEO, or a Member of the
Management Team on the Search Committee.

Once the Committee Members are identified, the Committee should meet to determine the
following items:

1. Timeline, scale, and scope of search effort
2. Review and Revise CEO job description as needed
3. Recruitment and Screening Process
4. Selection Process
5. Interim Supervision
6. Role of exiting CEO

Timeline, Scale, and Scope of Search Effort

The Search Committee will need to determine a timeline for the search effort based on the
exiting CEO’s departure date. If the timeline is too compressed for an adequate search, the
Search Committee should consider an interim placement as described in the Emergency
Succession Plan. A timeline should provide adequate consideration for advertisement, interview
process, screening, and identification of a preferred candidate.

The Search Committee will need to determine whether to engage a professional recruitment firm
or head hunting agency for this effort or whether they would prefer to self-perform the search
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT

106
and screening process. The Committee will also need to choose whether to conduct a national,
regional, or local search for a new CEO. When making these decisions, consideration should be
given to:

• Whether there are qualified and interested internal candidates
• A process for engaging current staff in the search and screening process
• The time and willingness of Board Members to conduct a comprehensive search without
help from a third party
• The availability of the exiting CEO to assist the search effort
• The financial commitments required for the desired scale of search effort.

Once the Committee has formalized the timeline, scale and scope of the search effort, they can
prepare their recruitment campaign.

Review and Revised CEO Job Description

In preparation for a CEO recruitment campaign, the Search Committee should review and revise
the CEO job description to ensure it clearly articulates the role and responsibilities of the CEO as
well as the desired qualifications. Consideration should be given to the following areas:

• Has the CEO job changed since the last revision of the Job Description?
• What are the key skill sets the Board wants the incoming CEO to possess?
• Does the Board want to restructure the position in any key ways than it has been in the
past?
• Does the Board want a different leadership model than the organization has had in the
past?
• What is the total compensation package? How much flexibility is there for candidates
with differing compensation priorities?

The revised Job Description should be circulated amongst the Board of Directors for comment
and revision before the Job Description is finalized.

Recruitment and Screening Process

Whether the Search committee elects to engage a professional service provider or self-perform
the recruitment and screening process, the following activities should be discussed and
documented:

• Establish a budget for the process
• Create a marketing plan for advertising the position
• Assign someone to receive all resumes and applications
• Develop a marketing kit on the agency and the position
• Establish a process to screen, review, and score all submitted resumes
• Develop ranking criteria and selection process to interview the top 7-10 candidates
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT

107
• Develop a first round interview process
• Develop interview questions and scoring/ranking matrix

The Search Committee should keep the Board informed on the progress of the search. A
member of the Search Committee should be appointed to keep the staff informed of the process,
so there is regular communication about the process throughout the organization.

Selection Process

The final three or four candidates from the first interview round shall be recommended by the
Search Committee to the full Board. The Board will develop interview questions and an
interview protocol. Consideration should be given to:

• Conducting a background and reference check on candidates before advancing to a final
interview
• Requiring a presentation about [Mālama ʻĀina] from the candidates during interview
• Engaging key staff in the interview process
• Conducting a tour of [Mālama ʻĀina] Campus as part of interview
• Developing a scoring/ranking matrix for final interviews
• Deciding whether to pay finalists travel expenses for interview
• Process the Board will use to determine which candidate will be offered the position

Once a candidate is determined to be selected, the Board President should make the offer, and
following acceptance, conduct final compensation negotiations within the pre-determined range
set by the Board. The Board President should also communicate with the unselected candidates
and thank them for their interest and effort in the process.

The Board should develop a communication plan to announce the appointment of the new CEO.
This should include announcing to staff, funders, partners and key stakeholders. A press release
should be prepared and distributed throughout the [Mālama ʻĀina] service region.

Interim Supervision

The Board should establish a clear set of six month and annual performance objectives for the
new CEO in written form. These objectives can be mutually developed, but must reflect the
goals and objectives of the strategic plan as well as any other important benchmarks the Board
deems relevant. The new CEO should be evaluated based on these performance objectives
which will act as a guide for the first year of the position.

Role of exiting CEO

The exiting CEO should develop a transition memo on key information for the incoming CEO.
This memo should cover key issues facing the organization, key external relationships and other
information needed by the incoming CEO. If at all possible, the exiting CEO shall be retained
for at least a three month period in a consulting role. This role will include reviewing the
strategic plan and all key programs, introductions to key stakeholders, and assisting in other
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT

108
activities to ensure a successful transition. The exiting CEO shall not be involved in the
management of the organization.

Strategic Leader Development Planning

[Mālama ʻĀina] is committed to developing leadership at all levels within the management
structure as a fundamental element of succession planning. The CEO and Management Team
recognize it is their duty to prepare the staff they supervise and mentor for higher levels of
leadership and management within the organization as part of its culture and core values. Key
elements of this effort include:

• Connecting Departmental Goals and Objectives to the Board approved Strategic Plan
• Conducting comprehensive annual evaluations for all permanent and seasonal staff
• Granting decision making power and authority to the Executive Committee, Directors,
Managers, and Coordinators.
• Financial support for continuing education and professional development for all staff
• Development of operational manuals for administrative and operational systems
• Encouraging a culture of excellence, innovation, and entrepreneurialism

Part II: Emergency Succession Plan

The Board of Directors of [Mālama ʻĀina] recognizes that a succession plan for the CEO
position is an important aspect of contingency planning to ensure the ongoing success of
[Mālama ʻĀina] in unexpected and difficult circumstances. The outline below describes the
process that will occur for an unplanned transition of the CEO, including:

• Emergency (Unplanned) Temporary Succession - The CEO’s departure is sudden; he or
she is expected to be absent less than 6 months.
• Emergency (Unplanned) Long-term, Temporary Succession – The CEO’s departure is
sudden; he or she is expected to return, but will likely be absent more than 6 months.
• Emergency (Unplanned) Permanent Succession – The CEO’s departure is sudden and
permanent – for whatever reason.

The Board of [Mālama ʻĀina] creates this plan having reviewed the job description of the CEO
and understanding the CEO’s role in organizational leadership, program development, program
administration, operations, financial operations, resource development and community presence.

Succession Plan in event of a Temporary, Unplanned Absence: Short Term

A temporary absence is one of less than six months in which it is expected that the CEO will
return to his/her position once the events precipitating the absence are resolved. An unplanned
absence is one that arises unexpectedly, in contrast to a planned leave, such as a vacation or a
sabbatical. The [Mālama ʻĀina] Board of Directors is authorized to implement the terms of this
emergency plan in the event of the unplanned absence of the CEO.
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT

109
In the event of an unplanned absence of the CEO, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) (or other
longest tenured staff member) is to immediately inform the Board President (or other Board
Officer(s)) of the absence. As soon as it is feasible, the President should convene a meeting of
the Board to affirm the procedures prescribed in this plan or to make modifications as the
Committee deems appropriate.

At the time this plan was approved, the position of Acting CEO would be assumed by:
[the] COO

Should the standing appointee to the position of Acting CEO be unable to serve, the back-up
appointee for the position of Acting CEO will be:
[the] Director of Impact

If this Acting CEO is new to his/her position and fairly inexperienced with the organization or
found unfit by the Board of Directors, the Board of Directors may decide to appoint the back-up
appointee to the Acting CEO position. The Board may also consider the option of splitting
executive duties among designated appointees.

Authority and Compensation of Acting CEO

The person appointed as the Acting CEO shall have the same authority for decision-making and
independent action as the regular CEO. At the Board’s discretion, the Acting CEO may be
offered a salary modification from (but not limited to) the following options:

1. A temporary salary increase to the entry-level salary of the CEO position.
2. A bonus, not to exceed 25% of their current salary during Acting CEO period.
3. No additional compensation.

The Board Members responsible for monitoring the work of the Acting CEO shall be the Board
Officers (Board President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary). The Acting CEO may give
consideration, in consultation with the Board Officers, to temporarily filling the management
position left vacant by the Acting CEO.

Communications Plan

Immediately upon transferring the responsibilities to the Acting CEO, the Board President (or
highest ranking Member) will notify staff members, members of the Board of Directors, and key
stakeholders of the delegation of authority.

As soon as possible after the Acting CEO has begun covering the unplanned absence, Board
Members and the Acting CEO shall communicate the temporary leadership structure to key
external supporters of [Mālama ʻĀina]. This may include, but not limited to, government
contract officers, foundation program officers, civic leaders, and major donors.

LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING IN A HAWAIIAN NONPROFIT

110
Completion of Short-Term Emergency Succession Period

The decision about when the absent CEO returns to lead [Mālama ʻĀina] should be determined
by the CEO and the Board Officers referenced above. They will decide upon a mutually agreed
upon schedule and start date. A reduced schedule for a set period of time can be allowed, if
necessary, by approval of the Board Officers, with the intention of working the CEO back up to a
full time commitment. During the transition period, and clearly upon return to a full time
commitment, the Acting CEO shall engage in a corresponding transition back to his or her
original position.

Succession Plan in event of a Temporary, Unplanned Absence: Long Term

A long term absence is one that is expected to last more than six months. The procedures and
conditions to be followed should be the same as for a short term absence with these additions:

The Acting CEO will give immediate consideration, in consultation with the Board Officers, to
temporarily filling the management position left vacant by the Acting CEO, or backfilling the
Acting CEO’s original position. This is in recognition of the fact that for a term of more than six
months, it may not be reasonable to expect the Acting CEO to carry the duties of both positions.
The position description of a temporary manager would focus on covering the priority areas in
which the Acting CEO needs assistance.

Succession Plan in Event of an Unexpected and Permanent Change in CEO

A permanent change is one in which is it firmly determined that the CEO will not be returning to
the position. The procedures and conditions should be the same as for a long-term temporary
absence with one addition:

The Board of Directors will consider appointing a Transition and Search Committee within ten
(10) calendar days to plan and carry out a transition to a new permanent CEO as described earlier
in this document - Part I: Planned Resignation. The Board will also consider the need for outside
consulting assistance depending on the circumstances of the transition and the Board’s capacity
to plan and manage the transition and search. The Transition and Search Committee will also
determine the need for an Interim CEO, and plan for the recruitment and selection of an Interim
CEO and/or permanent CEO.

Reviewed and approved by the [Mālama ʻĀina] Board of Directors effective ________________

_______________________________ _________
Board President Date

Abstract (if available)

Abstract The retirement of the Baby Boomer generation signals a need for organizations to prepare potential leaders for senior leadership roles. Succession planning is the opportunity for organizations to implement strategic development practices to build leadership capacity. The study applied fundamental practices of exemplary leadership within the theory of Transformational Leadership. The purpose of the study was to understand promising practices of leadership succession within a Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization. The goals of the study were to explore the strategies that build the next generation of leaders, and the factors that both facilitate and inhibit the development and implementation of those strategies. A qualitative case study utilizing a combination of interviews, observations, and document analysis was implemented with the purposeful selection of eight leaders within a Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization. Findings indicate that like most nonprofit organizations the studied organization has no intentional succession plan employed to prepare leaders to embark from mid-level to senior-level leadership positions. The organization does present promising practices that support strategic intentions to build leadership capacity. These strategies include mentorship, stretching assignments, and formal and informal learning opportunities. The organization stands on a strong mission and vision that facilitates leadership building strategies. Facilitating factors are also evidenced by having a written CEO succession plan and purposefully budgeting funding for staff development.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Benson, Leialoha M. (author)

Core Title Leadership capacity building within a Hawaiian-based nonprofit organization

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 11/01/2017

Defense Date 04/29/2016

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag capacity building,Hawaiian,leadership,nonprofit,OAI-PMH Harvest,succession

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Stowe, Kathy (committee chair), Malloy, Courtney (committee member), Picus, Lawrence (committee member)

Creator Email bensonleialoha@gmail.com,leialohb@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c40-448084

Unique identifier UC11263908

Identifier etd-BensonLeia-5863.pdf (filename),usctheses-c40-448084 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-BensonLeia-5863.pdf

Dmrecord 448084

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Benson, Leialoha M.

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA